Women go for online sex too

After putting her daughter to bed, Maggie, 42, routinely sat at her computer for hours, mesmerized by an online world of erotic stories and real-time sexual discussions. Beth, 33, usually clicked on the most visually graphic sites, disproving the theory that only men are enticed by pornography. "A lot of people don`t realize this happens with women, too," says Beth, who, along with Maggie, asked that their last names not be revealed. The myth began long ago, perhaps because women were rarely seen walking into seedy adult bookstores or asking for plastic-wrapped magazines kept behind convenience store counters. But in recent years, the accessibility, affordability and anonymity of the Internet has made pornography undeniably attractive to millions of women. While some women simply find it exciting, others have battled addictions and other problems. Nearly one in three visitors to adult Web sites is a woman, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, the industry standard for measuring online audiences. Studying the Internet use of 40,000 panelists at home and work, Nielsen//NetRatings estimates that 9.4 million women in the United States accessed such sites in September. Julie Neff, 29, of Mukwonago, Wis., sees nothing but benefits. Internet pornography "is pretty much an adjunct to my regular sex life," she said. She estimates she views it less than an hour a week and is open about it with her boyfriend. "We e-mail each other saying, `Ha-ha, look at this,` or, `Hee-hee, look at that,` or, `Ooh, that`s good.` It`s healthy. If you want to know the mechanics or the logistics of certain things, you can get education and inspiration to do stuff. Plus, I just find it prurient. I like it." Others think it can lead to problems. There is some evidence that Internet pornography is luring even women whose values oppose it. Some speculate a forbidden-fruit factor can make it tantalizing for religious women in particular. The editors of Today`s Christian Woman, an evangelical magazine, had heard anecdotes of churchgoing women getting hooked on pornography, so they conducted a survey asking readers of their online newsletter if they had intentionally visited porn sites. Thirty-four percent said they had.