I'm here because porn scared the shit out of me when I was 19 year old virgin.

I had been fortunate enough to escape exposure in middle school and high school, thanks to my parents' vigilance. When I got to college and started my first relationship, I was curious about sex and wanted to learn more about it, specifically how to do it. So I sought out porn. Biggest mistake of my life. I didn't know violent sex existed. I didn't know men hit women or pulled their hair or strangled them, and that this was considered "normal." It upset me so much, it put me off having sex for several months. I couldn't bear the thought of my partner being aggressive like that.

Thankfully I was able to have a discussion with my partner and we worked things out. He's never been aggressive in any way and never would be. I trust him. But it upsets me to know how many men are violent because of porn and how many young girls are raised on this violence and see it as inevitable and no big deal, some even view it as healthy or feminist.