Last week, Utah passed legislation declaring that pornography is “a public health hazard” mandating computer technicians who find pornography on someone’s computer report it to law enforcement agencies. “Pornography is a public health crisis,” Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) said on his public Facebook page. “Today’s bills will start an open discussion, bringing its very real dangers to light.”
Is pornography really a public health “crisis”? Although there doesn’t seem to be a definitive definition of the term, the World Health Organizations defines a crisis as a “situation that is perceived as difficult” or a “time of danger or greater difficulty.” That’s a pretty broad definition, and it appears that the words crisis, epidemic and emergency are often used somewhat interchangeably.
So is pornography on par with what others consider to be current public health crises? Let’s take a look:
Zika virus
The Zika virus has been declared a public health “emergency” by the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency predicts up to 4 million people will be infected with the virus worldwide by the end of 2016.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most people who are infected with the Zika virus won’t have symptoms. If they do, they may end up with a fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain and/or headache. The biggest problem with Zika is that scientists are relatively certain it causes microcephaly, a condition in which newborns are born with abnormally small brains. At a media briefing, WHO director-General Margaret Chan said that alone is enough to declare Zika a public health emergency.
Opioid misuse
According to the American Society of Addictive Medicine, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. and opioid addiction is what’s driving the “epidemic”. CDC statistics show 78 Americans die each day from opioid overdose. "We know of no other medication used for non-fatal conditions that kills patients so frequently," Thomas Frieden, CDC director, told USA Today. "We hope to see fewer deaths from opiates. That's the bottom line. These are really dangerous medications that carry the risk of addiction and death."
To reduce the risk for overdose, the CDC has issued new Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.
Does pornography measure up?
So, can pornography really be considered a public health crisis? That depends on who you ask. In an article for The Washington Post, Gail Dines, a professor of sociology at Wheelock College in Boston, said, “Extensive scientific research reveals that exposure to and consumption of porn threaten the social, emotional, and physical health of individuals, families and communities, and highlights the degree to which porn is a public health crisis rather than a private matter.”
Dines references a number of studies that show the use of porn is associated with a greater risk for committing sexual assault or acts of verbal or physical sexual aggression toward women.
But not everyone agrees as to what constitutes a public health crisis. “I think the conclusions we can draw from the science are very limited,” pediatrician David Hill, who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Communications and Media, told The Atlantic about the scientific studies on pornography. Hill said that public-health crises are normally based on outcomes, rather than risk factors.