Dear back2back,

Pornography (also known as porn or porno) is sexually arousing imagery. Some people prefer to call it erotica because they reserve the word pornography to describe material that they consider offensive and obscene. One person's erotica can be another person's pornography and vice versa.

In any case, many people enjoy using pornography or erotica as a part of their sex play — alone or with a partner. Most people do not consider looking at porn or masturbating to be cheating on a partner, but some people might. The only way to figure out how you and your girlfriend feel about this is to talk about it. Sometimes sex is hard to talk about and it's ok to acknowledge that — but not talking about important issues in a relationship can lead to problems in the long run.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.