No Shame Sex Ed

What Is Ethical Porn?

Bustle's sex and relationships editor sits down with a porn activist to discuss how you can find porn that's made with a conscience.

by Lauren Tegtmeyer
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Mainstream porn comes with a whole host of ethical issues. Typically, mainstream porn almost exclusively caters to cis straight men and often depicts women in degrading or dehumanizing situations. It's also not always made in a way that's fair or respectful to the women involved — and though there's nothing inherently wrong with seeking out porn to watch, it's hard to know what's ethically made and what isn't. It's even harder to know where to find it.

So what is ethical porn, exactly? Essentially, it's pornography made consensually, treats performers with respect, and pays performers and filmmakers fairly for their work. It also often shows more realistic depictions of sex, including people with different body types, different types of relationships, and centering on female pleasure.

So does ethical porn mean you can’t go to PornHub in a pinch? Or maybe you should just be watching “porn for women” categories? Well, not exactly. If you want to feel better about your porn choices and you don't know where to start, check out this episode of No Shame Sex Ed, Bustle's inclusive, sex-positive series that talks to the experts in order to give you real ways to explore and improve your sexual experiences. Hosted by Sex and Relationships Editor Iman Hariri-Kia, the features a conversation with Ayesha Hussain, a sex and porn coach and porn activist, about the definition of ethical porn, a helpful checklist to keep in mind when watching porn, and a couple of websites to get you started.

Check out the interview above to learn more about what ethical porn looks like, where to find it, and how to be a better, more conscious consumer of porn overall.

Host: Iman Hariri-Kia

Expert: Ayesha Hussain

Executive Creative Director: Lauren Sofair

Executive Producer: Whitney Buxton

Producer: Lauren Tegtmeyer

Director of Photography: Marshall Stief

Camera Operator: Jasmine Velez

Design Director: Andenew Ayele

Motion Designer: Jeff Donlan

Editor: Charlotte Carpenter

Have you subscribed to Bustle Digital Group on YouTube? ►► https://bit.ly/2BUqGfA

This article was originally published on