Happy Porn Stars

Posted by Harmony Dust on Thursday, February 16, 2012 · 1 Comment 

Happy Porn Stars

You may have heard of the myth of the “happy hooker”.  Just as prevalent in our culture is the myth of the “happy porn star”. As a matter of fact, one of the most predominant pro-porn arguments I hear is that of the “happy porn star”.

The thinking is something like this.  “People in porn are willingly choosing this line of work.  They enjoy it. Good for them for using what God gave them to get ahead. The ones who end up doped up, messed up, beat up or dead just weren’t cut out for this business.”

So just how happy are adult industry performers?

A cross-sectional study based on the California Women’s Health Survey did a comparison of the mental health of female adult performers and other young women in California.  Here is what their research revealed.

                                                            Women in porn                   Women NOT in porn

Met criteria for depression                          33%                                        13%

Child victims of forced sex                           37%                                        13%

Lived in poverty                                            24%                                        12%

Placed in foster care                                    21%                                        4%

Lived in poverty in past 12 months              50%                                        36%

Experienced Domestic Violence                   34%                                        6%

in past 12 months

Experienced forced sex as adults                 27%                                        9%

The study notes that although former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop convened the first ever ‘Workshop on Pornography and Public Health’ during which an expert panel concluded that although pornography ‘impairs the mental, emotional, and physical health’ of individual participants, viewers and society at large, the US remains the largest producer of porn worldwide.

As a matter of fact 95% of all legal porn is manufactured, filmed, and or produced right here in the San Fernando Valley where the Treasures office is located.

As much as I love statistics (yes I am a nerd like that), each of these figures represents a real woman with a real story.  And while time and time again, research reflects what we see every day in the real lives of real women we serve, we know that there is hope.  We are committed to be a part of the solution.

Next Tuesday, we are starting a new session of our therapist-led support group.  We create a safe, loving environment for women to experience community with one another as they process their hurts and struggles under the care of a mental health professional.  Since the therapist is also a Spiritual Formation Director, she is able to address their spiritual as well as psychological needs.

If you or someone you know is an industry/ex-industry girl and would like to attend our support group.  Please register here: http://www.ministrysync.com/event/home.php?e=3346

And if you are a Treasures supporter and would like to fund a support group session, please make a contribution of $150 here:

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/TreasuresOutofDarkness_1/OnlineGiving.html

Together we can bring freedom and healing to those who need it!

Love, Harmony Dust