Born to be Wild

Back in the day, the world of porn was always a bit of a 'boys' club'. The set was usually a sweaty men's gym or auto-repair shop, breasts came in one size only (colossal) and - no matter how hard she worked - nobody seemed to care whether the woman came or not.

This male-oriented setup made sense, though - sex surveys routinely reveal that more men than women watch porn. (Or at least admit to it). Sexperts reckon this is largely because men are visually stimulated and only need to see a sexy image (for instance, a hot, naked woman) in order to get their rocks off, while women ... well ... let's just say we're a little more complicated. To get completely aroused, most of us need our senses of sight, touch and hearing to be engaged. We also tend to appreciate some level of emotional connection.

In the past few years, however, more and more women have been dipping into porn. After all, we're living in a sexually liberated world. Pole dancing, for example - which was once seen to be as 'demeaning' to women as porn - is now considered to be empowering.

Many women no longer feel uncomfortable or intimidated by pornographic images, nor do they believe that the women in porn films are being mistreated. Many of us view what those women are doing simply as a choice they've made. (And, for world-famous porn stars such as Jenna Jameson, this choice can be a pretty lucrative one).

Today production companies are even creating porn films aimed specifically at women. As porn gains popularity among women, we're beginning to see the benefits. It's a great way to explore hidden fantasies, to figure out exactly what it is that does it for us and, most importantly, to help turn us on.

Sneaking a Peek

Claire, 28, remembers the day she found a stack of porn movies in a folder on her boyfriend's computer. 'It didn't worry me or anything,' she says. 'I mean, what guy doesn't like porn?' What did surprise her, however, was how much she liked it. She'd planned on opening a clip or two to view them out of curiosity but ended up spending the entire evening in front of the PC. 'I was transfixed,' she says, adding that it was the girl-on-girl action she found particularly compelling. 'I'm as straight as an arrow,' she says. 'If a girl came on to me, I'd run a mile, but for some reason the chick scenes just did it for me'.

When her boyfriend came home that night he was met by an extra-horny girlfriend. 'I basically ripped his clothes off and molested him the second he walked through the door,' she grins. 'You could say porn is great for my sex life.'

Ironically, Claire's man doesn't know she watches his porn. 'I've told him I've dipped into it and he thought it was funny, but he doesn't know I haven't stopped,' she says. 'I'm not watching it every day, but every now and again I like to watch it alone just before he comes home to get me in the mood.'

Kinky and Kinkier

When it comes to sexual preferences, who are we to judge - or even understand? Tamryn, 24, a receptionist, admits to getting turned on 'like a crazy person' every time she sees two men having sex with a woman on film, but would never consider a threesome in real life. 'I couldn't think of anything more degrading,' she says.

Samantha, 27, a pharmacist, says she once saw a porn film in which a couple performed oral sex on each other on the hood of a red sports car. 'It sounds incredibly naff but I watched it when I was very young and it stuck with me,' she says. 'It's now become the scene that I really want to re-create before I get too old and wrinkly for it to look good,' she laughs.

When it comes to kinks and quirks, we're all entitled to our own. There isn't a one-size-fits-all option when it comes to pleasing a hot-blooded cosmo girl. What's more, the porn industry is a big one, divided into different 'categories' that cater to all tastes. Perhaps you'll like well-oiled model-type boys? Or you might like watching wild, crazy threesomes or a great bondage flick? You'll never know what will float your boat until you try them.

However, what's not cool, and never will be, is any sexual act involving animals and children. In fact, there are words for that - namely 'bestiality' and 'child molestation' respectively. Both practices are illegal, not to mention cruel, and you shouldn't support movies involving either one.

Another porn no-no is the unwilling participant. It's simply not acceptable to get off on watching someone being taken advantage of because he or she has been drugged or forced into a prostitution ring. The key to porn fun? Consenting adults.