So, Have You Heard of Preggophilia?
Pregnancy support groups have warned expectant mothers about the dangers of posting photographs of their baby bump online in case they are stolen for use on porn sites.
The Australian Multiple Birth Association warned pregnant women who shared photos with other expectant mothers online may have unwittingly shared their pics with people collecting content for sexual, pregnancy fetish websites.
“People are posing as parents or expectant mums of twins or more and joining Facebook groups and sharing a photo of their pregnant belly and asking others to share theirs,” Ali Mountfield from the Australian Multiple Birth Association (AMBA) said.
“They were scammers or fake profiles and they were then stealing these people’s photos for use on websites and this is where the concept, that we have never heard of, called Preggophilia has been understood by us,” she said.
What is Preggophilia?
Preggophilia is a sexual fetish for pregnant women. It also includes fantasies and sexual arousal from the presence of a pregnant woman. Some men and even some women may be sexually aroused by different features and behaviors relating to pregnancy.
Preggophilia is a combination of the word Preggo and philia.
Preggo is a slang used to refer to a pregnant woman.
Philia usually appears as a suffix to some words which means fondness or an abnormal love for something.
Symptoms of Preggophilia
Generally, there should be no cause to worry about Preggophilia.
It is certainly not wrong for people to idolize pregnant women but when there may be a very strong urge to have unsafe sex with any pregnant woman, that’s an obvious cause for concern.
(Don’t go chasing your neighbours pregnant wife. Or even worse, your pregnant SIL!!) and NEVER steal other people’s images, that is a big NO NO!
Are you a Preggophiliac?
- Do you discover that you spend a significantly large amount of time thinking about pregnant women?
- Do you feel the need to have sex when you see pregnant women?
- Do you have intense sexual fantasies about pregnant women from time to time?
- Do you hardly have sexual gratification unless there is a role play involving your partner appearing pregnant?
- Have you noticed that you find yourself visiting preggophilliac websites too often?
Is Preggophillia Wrong?
Well, not necessarily. As long as you aren’t crossing the line. For thousands of years, there have been images that idolise women and fertility.
According to porn-industry analytics, searches for pregnancy-related content have shot up by nearly 20 percent since 2014; and the term “pregnant” is now the 107th most popular porn search in the United States.
Preggophilia.com is one fetish site with over 50,000 members which provides a forum for “admirers of pregnant women”.
A 2010 study that was later published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that early exposure to pregnancy and lactation can lead to an adult interest in pregnant women. Older siblings, researchers found, are more likely to develop this kind of attraction.
One study published in the Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality found that men desire their partners more during pregnancy than ever before.
Dating Pregnant Women (dot com), a personal site that connects interested individuals to pregnant women in their area, describes the adoration of expecting women as such: “There is something about pregnant women that is just so beautiful.
Women look their best when they are carrying a child. Their skin is flawless, they have a happy sparkle in their eyes and the bigger they are, the better.”
However, it can become very, very creepy!
MUMMY blogger shares her creepy experience
One mummy blogger has warned women about posting pregnancy photos online after hers ended up on a pregnancy fetish site.
Meg Ireland, was horrified to find 15 of her pregnancy images had been set up on a porn site of pregnant women.
“I see so many people upload their bump pics and now I just gasp and hope to god they don’t get into the hands of someone they shouldn’t.
We shouldn’t have to worry about people stealing our photos, but unfortunately it happens ALL THE TIME!
When I was scrolling through this god-awful site trying to find where this thread was, I saw some pretty fucked up shit.
People who were uploading pictures of their wife to other users, brother-in-laws uploading pictures of their sister-in-laws and women uploading pictures of their work colleagues!!! I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Who was I to blame for this?
People would say I should only blame myself for uploading “personal pictures” and that it was my own fault (even though my profile was then private).
I see it differently. I didn’t care that someone had screenshot my photo to show someone, it’s was what they did with my photo/s that made me physically sick to my stomach.
WHYYY should we have to sit and worry about this when uploading a photo on our social media sites?
Please be cautious about who follows/adds you. Block them if they look like a creepy MF.
What to do if you are worried your photos are being used on porn sites
If someone has shared an image of you without your consent, you can take action now.
Report an image or video to eSafety
Their expert team are ready to work with you and find the best way to help.
You can report image-based abuse to eSafety if:
- you are the person in the intimate image or video, or
- you have been authorised by the person in the intimate image or video to make a report on their behalf, or
- you are a parent or guardian on behalf of a child who is under 16, or
- you are a parent or guardian on behalf of a person who is in a mental or physical condition that means they need assistance to manage their own affairs
- Report an image to the website or social media service it is posted on
Most major websites and social media services have policies that ban the posting or sharing of intimate images without consent. They also have processes to report and request the removal of such content.
Collect Evidence
It is a good idea to collect evidence of the image theft before you take any steps to have the images or video removed. Screenshots are a common way to collect evidence.
You will need to collect evidence if you wish to make a report to the police or take legal action.
Many sites will send you a reply once you report, sometimes with a case number. Keep this as evidence too.
Get Help from the Police
If you are experiencing image-based abuse, your local police may be able to help.
In some cases, the police may be able to charge the person responsible for a criminal offense.
For non-emergencies, you can call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or contact your local police station.
Find more helpful advice at http://www.esafety.gov.au
