'I want it all the time': Meet the Gen X women suddenly into porn.

When Shelby* started taking HRT, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would amp up her sexual desire to the degree that, at the age of 53, she would become an avid watcher of pornography.

Initially, Shelby was prescribed compound hormones that favoured testosterone by an anti-ageing specialist to up her energy levels and preserve her muscles for long-distance ocean swimming. 

"Obviously, I knew HRT would increase my sex drive as my husband, 62, was taking testosterone. Immediately, I noticed the biological changes, the easing of my dry vagina, my breasts becoming smaller and a return to a sexual desire I hadn't experienced since my twenties or ever.”

Watch: Porn; who's watching what when? Story continues after video.

Shelby reports a reinvigorated sex life with her husband, stronger and more frequent orgasms and being so horny she started masturbating to free porn on Pornhub for the first time in her life. "Before taking hormones, I didn't have a positive or negative relationship with porn. It just didn't turn me on," said Shelby. "When I'd masturbated in the past, I'd tap into fantasies of sex I’d had or create my own wild fantasies.” 

According to Shelby, the hormones have given her some insight into what it is like to be a man with a one-track mind about sex. “I think about sex a lot more and want it all the time,” she said. “This morning, my husband wasn’t in the mood, so I stayed in bed watching porn after he got up. It feels as if I've revved up the male side of me, so much so that orgasms feel like a relief. I feel calmer and more relaxed after masturbating. I joke with my husband that the testosterone made me do it! In truth, if I stopped taking it, I probably wouldn't watch porn."

However, it's not just women on prescribed hormones watching porn for the first time. So are perimenopausal women like Emma, 44. "The last few years, I felt ridiculously horny as if I'm on my last hormonal hurrah,' she said. 

When Emma was single in her twenties and early thirties, porn wasn't even on her radar. "When free porn hit the internet, I was having babies. It was the last thing on my mind," she said.

However, now as a single woman, she admits she’d rather watch porn than have a meaningless hook-up. "It is quicker, more convenient as I have kids, and it’s also less emotionally fraught. I can easily scratch that itch by flicking on porn to get me 0ff," she said.

However, Shelby and Emma report mixed feelings about the porn they've been consuming and where they’ve been consuming it: Pornhub. They both flagged the distinct lack of age-appropriate porn and an element of guilt watching young female performers in porn shot for the male gaze. 

"Most of the performers are the same age as my children, which is super weird,” said Shelby. “So I always seek out mature porn for that reason."

Another issue is porn shot for the male gaze subjugates female pleasurable. As a bisexual woman, Shelby says she gets around it by being drawn to female-on-female porn. Whereas Emma was so conflicted, instead of watching heterosexual porn featuring intercourse, she has begun to favour porn where women are sensuously massaged before being brought to orgasm. "I also watch a guy called “Mr Pussy Licking” on Pornhub because he seemed unique in focusing on the women’s pleasure," she said.

Sexologist Chanelle Otten says for those exploring pornography for the first time, often due to differences in sexual desire between partners, it's crucial to address any feelings of guilt or conflict that may arise from this exploration. "Firstly, it's essential to normalise the consumption of pornography as a natural and widespread aspect of adult sexuality. Encouraging individuals to understand that there is no need to feel guilty about exploring their sexual desires through pornography is paramount. It's essential to remember that exploring one's sexuality is a personal journey, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach."

So if you're feeling icky watching super-aggressive porn featuring younger porn stars, it may be helpful to think of making ethical decisions around the porn you're consuming.

Swedish erotic film director, screenwriter, producer, and one of the leading voices in the feminist pornography movement, Erika Lust's ethical production process sets her apart from the free porn sites. "In feminist porn, women, men, and people of all genders are in charge of what they do sexually; they own their pleasure and are treated as equal sexual collaborators." 

Lust says she is challenging herself and her team with their content to reach new audiences and get more people to see themselves represented in their films. "In the case of mature women, this challenges the belief that they don't have as much desire as men and that as we get older, we end up losing our desire, too,” said Lust. “One prejudice that also affects women in the porn industry is that porn is made for men and that women are not as sexual as men regarding what type of porn they want to see. So, seeing women in their 40s and 50s defying these expectations with our movies makes me feel like we're doing something right!' 

Erika Lust. Image: Supplied.

Now in her forties, Lust says her experience plays a big part when creating diverse pornography for erikalust.com. "I started making films twenty years ago, and as I've progressed in my own movies and seen the work of guest directors and their stories, I've gained a wider insight into the possibilities inside the porn industry. One of the things that I'm mostly proud of in my career has been the vast amount of different people that connect with our films and feel represented in them, how people from very diverse backgrounds understand that they are desirable, that they deserve pleasure, and that they are seen. This brings a powerful certainty that there is a different way of making porn than the one we're mostly used to, where everyone's pleasure is equally portrayed."

So, if you’re in the mood, get masturbating! 

Feature Image: Getty.