"Samantha Lewis, president of Digital Playground, a DVD company in California that produces pornographic films for women and couples, estimated that women account for 40% of retail sales of Digital's movies, double what it was just two years ago. At trade shows, she said, half the fans are women, compared to maybe 10% five years ago. "Women are fueling the growth," Ms. Lewis, 42, said.
"While women have long been involved in the sex industry as providers and consumers, their participation now has become more of an economic phenomenon, largely because of the Internet. In fact, experts say, the Internet has been a major factor in unleashing women's interest in all things sexual. Surveys by Nielsen/NetRatings, which measures Internet audiences, have found that women account for more than a quarter of all visitors to sites with adult content, with more than 10 million women logging on to such sites in December alone," reports The New York Times [free reg req'd].
"ComScore Media Metrix, an Internet research firm, has found even higher female demand for adult sites — 42% of all visitors in January — with the highest rates among women ages 18 to 34."
