Post-Sex And the City, many of us barely raise an eyebrow at a vibrator, and 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.
For years 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.
Anna Span claims to be Britain's first female porn director and says she makes 'genuine female-point-of-view' films. A graduate from St Martin's School of Art, Anna's final dissertation was Towards A New Pornography, in which she argued that porn for women was one of the 'last underdeveloped areas left in film'. Anna now 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.
'I build a proper storyline,' Anna explains. 'By the time they shag they're three-dimensional characters.' We're by no means talking Dickens here, but there is more plot than in most porn films. Anna continues, 'I use good-looking men and have the camera pointed on the blokes as well as the women. And my 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,' says Amanda* from Herts. '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. I was so turned on that when we started messing about I came faster than ever.'
For many women, watching porn is a hurdle well worth trying to jump. 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.
'After I had my first child, I lost interest in sex,' says Gill* from north London. 'But then my husband brought this German video. It was filthy. At first I thought it was funny, but then I started to feel horny.' She and her partner soon found themselves having active sex for the first time in months.
Feel like taking a look at some saucy DVDs? Here are our suggestions for some to get you started. Remember, we're not talking Anais Nin here - 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 of genitals or penetration. 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 Behaviour 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 genital 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 who starts rubbing himself at the sight of her. 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 with some serious oral sex. 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.
* Names have been changed
Go to annaspansdiary.com for some liberating ideas on getting into porn.
