Missing the clit: How mainstream porn depicts female sexual pleasure

Mainstream porn often neglects or misrepresents the clitoris in several ways.

Here’s how it tends to be depicted:

In most mainstream porn, there is little attention given to the clitoris, which is the primary source of sexual pleasure for most women. The majority of scenes centre on vaginal penetration, even though many women need clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm. Studies show that only 18% of women can orgasm from vaginal penetration alone, but mainstream porn often sidelines the clitoris in favour of penetration-focused acts (Herbenick et al., 2018).

When clitoral stimulation is shown in porn, it’s often depicted in a way that looks exaggerated and performative, designed more for visual appeal than for realistic sexual pleasure. These depictions tend to be brief and are often part of a larger performance intended to serve male fantasies, rather than an accurate portrayal of how women typically masturbate (Gurevich et al., 2017).

Mainstream porn tends to emphasise penetration as the central act of sex, sidelining other forms of stimulation like clitoral touching or oral sex that are crucial for many women’s sexual satisfaction. This overemphasis on penetration creates the false impression that vaginal intercourse is the primary path to orgasm for women, even though the majority of women need direct clitoral stimulation (Orenstein, 2020).

There is rarely any acknowledgement of the anatomy of the clitoris or its importance in female sexual pleasure. Most mainstream porn ignores the fact that the clitoris is much more than just the visible external part; it is a larger internal structure that plays a crucial role in arousal. Without this understanding, viewers may develop a limited or inaccurate perception of female sexual anatomy (Dodson, 2016).

By not giving proper attention to the clitoris, mainstream porn often reinforces a male-centred view of sex, where female pleasure is secondary to male pleasure. This contributes to the broader cultural misconception that women’s pleasure is less important or that it can be achieved primarily through penetration alone, without understanding or prioritising clitoral stimulation (Jacquet, 2016).

References

Dodson, B. (2016). Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving. Crown Publishing Group.
Gurevich, M., Cormier, N. S., & DeSouza, E. (2017). “Feminist Porn: Aesthetic of Resistance?” Sexualities, 20(1-2), 69-91.
Herbenick, D., Fu, T. C., Arter, J., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2018). “Women’s experiences with genital touching, orgasm, and sexual pleasure: Findings from a U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 94.” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 44(2), 201-212.
Jacquet, C. (2016). “The Cultural Silencing of Female Sexuality.” Feminist Studies, 42(2), 250-270.
Orenstein, P. (2020). Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape. Harper Collins.