Author EL James’s book, a global hit phenomenon with more than 100 million copies sold around the globe , has sent many women into an exacerbated state of frenzy. Now, a study from the University of Michigan (USA) affirms that reading this book, although it may seem harmless, causes women to engage in unhealthy behaviors , representing a risk factor for falling into abusive sexual relationships.
The study, which has been published in the Journal of Women’s Health , explains that the erotic series “50 Shades” embarks the young and innocent Anastasia Steele, its protagonist, in an abusive relationship that “represents widespread violence against women , perpetuating a broader social narrative that normalizes these types of risks and behaviors in women’s lives, ”says Amy Bonomi, study leader.
To test the influence of this erotic trilogy on the behavior of women in terms of the propensity to drink excessively or have abusive partners, the researchers analyzed 655 women between 18 and 24 years old – the age in which women are more likely to explore their sexual intimacy in a broader way. Of all of them, 122 had already read the three novels; 97 of them had read only the first book and the remaining 436 women had not read anything about the novels.
After comparing the results of the three groups, compared with women who had not read any of the books, women who had read the first novel were 25% more likely to have a partner who insulted them, 34% more likely to have a partner with abusive sexual tendencies , and 75% more likely to take some medication to lose weight. Compared to the women who had read all three novels, they were 65% more likely to be drunk and 63% more likely to have 5 or more sexual partners in their life.
According to Bonomi, “if women ever experienced behaviors that were harmful to their health, such as eating disorders, reading” 50 Shades of Gray “could reaffirm such experiences and potentially aggravate the associated trauma .”
