New research suggests that people who use porn may not necessarily hold any more negative views of women than those who don't use it

Despite being a billion-dollar industry, many believe pornography promotes a negative and degrading view of women.

But new research suggests that people who use porn may not necessarily hold any more negative views of women than those who don't use it.

The authors suggest pornography users and non-users likely view women equally, and are more likely to identify as feminists.

Many detractors of pornography have long-argued that it is demeaning to women, breeds negative attitudes and may even contribute to poor mental health.

However, researchers at Western University in Ontario argue that the idea that pornography leads to a negative view of women may not necessarily be the case.

The research used data from a large-scale study, which interviewed more than 24,000 randomly selected people across the US between 1975 and 2010.

Of the total who said they used pornography - based on the question 'have you watched an X-rated film in the last year?' - more than half (56 per cent) were female and 53 per cent identified themselves to be married.

As they were randomly selected, the researchers said the sample is more likely to accurately reflect the views of the average person.

Their analysis showed those people who admitted using pornography had more egalitarian views towards a number of women's issues, including in their attitudes towards abortion, women in the workplace and women in positions of power.

Interestingly, when it came to men, the biggest differences between users and non-users were in their views of women in power and abortion, with those who used pornography showing more positive attitudes.

The same was true of women in the study.

Women showed more positive views than non-users, followed by their more positive attitude towards abortion.

People who admitted using porn had more egalitarian views towards a number of women's issues, including in their attitudes towards abortion, women in the workplace and women in positions of power. In addition, a higher proportion of men and women who used pornography identified as feminists, compared to non-users

In addition, a higher proportion of men and women who used pornography identified as feminists, compared to non-users.

According to the team at Western, their findings do not support the idea that pornography necessarily leads to an unequal view of women.

STUDY SHOWS PORN USERS MORE LIKELY TO BE FEMINISTS The research used data from a large-scale study, which interviewed more than 24,000 randomly selected people across the US between 1975 and 2010. Of the total who said they used pornography - based on the question 'have you watched an X-rated film in the last year?' - more than half (56 per cent) were female and 53 per cent identified themselves to be married. People who admitted using pornography had more egalitarian views towards a number of women's issues, including in their attitudes towards abortion, women in the workplace and women in positions of power. When it came to men, the biggest differences between users and non-users were in their views of women in power and abortion, with those who used pornography showing more positive attitudes. The same was true for women who admitted using pornography. Advertisement

Writing in the Journal of Sex Research, they explained: 'In contrast to radical feminist theory concerning the impact of pornography on gender inequality, the current study...found no support for the proposition that pornography is associated with holding attitudes supportive of gender non-egalitarianism.'

The authors added: 'Compared to non-users, participants who reported viewing a pornographic film in the previous year also reported more positive attitudes toward women in positions of power, less negative attitudes towards women in the workforce, and less negative attitudes toward abortion.'

While the current study shows that pornography use isn't necessarily tied with negative views of women, a growing body of evidence is showing the serious implications of overuse.

Previous studies have indicated that compulsive users of pornography may show the same signs of addiction in their brain as those with alcohol and drug addictions.

In 2013, neuroscientists at Cambridge University studying self-confessed compulsive pornography users, found that a part of their brains, called the ventral striatum,'lit up' when they were shown erotic video clips.