Over a third of Irish teens have watched porn in previous year, research reveals

The survey of almost 5,300 teenagers aged 13-17 from the west of Ireland in November 2022 revealed that 37% of respondents had used pornography in the previous year with boys more than twice as likely as girls to have watched porn — 51% compared to 24%. File picture: iStock

More than a third of Irish teenagers admitted to watching pornography within the past 12 months, according to new research which suggests a strong link between use of pornography and risky sexual behaviour.

The study revealed that teenagers who had viewed porn, felt pressured to watch it, or used porn as a source of information, were up to three times more likely to have engaged in condomless sex and sex while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs compared to those who had not.