Shhh,We don't really like it

Of course, we know most men adore porn, but is it the same for girls?

Those of us who watched Sex and the City barely raise an eyebrow at a vibrator, and apparently the sales of porn DVDs aimed at women are well on the increase. So why the sudden female interest in porn? It’s partly to do with the fact that women are waking up to the idea that porn need not just be for blokes and that they can enjoy it, too. And it’s also to do with the fact that porn producers have recognised the new market and are tapping into it.

Erotic fiction has been a growing publishing market, with women as the main consumers, but while many women have read porn, they nonetheless felt horrified by the images in the porn film industry. Those images can be nasty and degrading, pandering to horrific male fantasies that do nothing for women. But these days that’s not the only porn around.

Britain’s first female porn director says she makes ‘genuine female-point-of-view’ films. A graduate from St Martin’s School of Art, she made her final dissertation about ‘Towards A New Pornography’ where she argued that porn for women was one of the ‘last underdeveloped areas left in film’. She produces a range of films, some of which avoid close-ups of genitals and penetration, concentrating directly on female fantasy; radical stuff for a porn maker.

These films build a proper storyline and by the time they ‘do-it’ they’re three-dimensional characters. They use good-looking men and have the camera pointed on the blokes as well as the women, and the titles never slag off women, even if the females are sometimes submissive. But, of course, no matter how female the film’s point of view, it can still be a bit of a leap to try porn for the first time.

I bought a DVD online out of curiosity. It was one of those aimed at couples, so I thought my partner and I could watch it together. But when it came to it I felt embarrassed, upset and jealous that my partner was getting to see all these naked women in front of me. But then I relaxed, there were a lot of blokes for me to look at, too, and I got really into it!

Watching porn is a hurdle well worth trying to jump for women. Lots of couples and singles simply use porn for pleasure, dipping in and out of it when the fancy takes them. Also it can help take away inhibitions, give you ideas when you run out and even help get you get over barriers.

Feel like taking a look at some saucy DVDs? Here are some suggestions to get you started. Remember, you will actually see people having sex, but our selection is somewhat more palatable to the female idea of what’s horny. And if you think watching with a partner might be off-putting, watch alone to see if you might enjoy it.

Uniform Behaviour by Anna Span (£20, Ann Summers). See fireman and gynaecologists and policemen getting it. Oh, and women, too. Some of this is so funny. Particularly the gynae one in which a trainee doctor asks his students “I hope you’re taking notes!” No full-on shots. Blokes might find it a tad boring, but then it’s not meant for them!

Good Service by Anna Span (£20, Ann Summers). Bit more hardcore than Uniform Behavior and very funny. Lovely scene in a hairdresser, a woman gets shaved (you know where) while she’s asked if she’s going on holiday this year! You do get the full-on nude shots, but still no visible penetration (apart from oral).

Teagan; All-American Girl (£20.95, blissbox.com). No words on this one. Starts with a scantily clad girl licking a lollipop. There’s twee music like something from a Doris Day film. And then along comes a he-man. Soon there’s full-on penetration with close-ups. Quickly moves to next scenario of a girl idly playing with a rubber duck...

Island Fever 3 (£20.95, blissbox.com). No words again. Shot in Tahiti, there’s some lovely scenery here. Waterfalls, palm trees and topless blondes who soon get rid of their sarongs and get into each other. Lots of bouncing and splashing in the waves with tinkling holiday music, and yes, some blokes are soon on the scene too, with actual penetration visible.

Having given porn a try, you may still not like it much! Don’t worry, you are not alone. There are still lots of women who are simply not turned on or even amused by porn. It’s just worth a try and you could be amazed at how much you do enjoy it.