# Romance novel readers/writers do romance novels play a role in shaping women's attitudes toward sex?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romance-novel-readers-writers-do-romance-novels-play-a-role-in-shaping-womens-attitudes-toward-sex/746149>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 14, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romance-novel-readers-writers-do-romance-novels-play-a-role-in-shaping-womens-attitudes-toward-sex/746149 "2016-02-14T21:11:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romance-novel-readers-writers-do-romance-novels-play-a-role-in-shaping-womens-attitudes-toward-sex/746149/1 "2016-02-14T21:11:45Z")

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Re this Salon article linked below it discusses how changes in sexual attitudes and mores over the past 40-50 years or so are now reflected in contemporary romance novels and (as an example) now “no means no” in romance literature.

I know romance novels are a pretty big business and I would imagine popular writers tend to cater to their audiences desires. The question I have is if it is a two way street. How much are romance stories just a refection of the popular romance zeitgeist and how much do you think they (as literature) might actually _change_ attitudes. Did any particular romance novel make you shift your world view (even a bit) on sexuality?

[Virgins and heroes: It took a while, but romance novels finally learned that no means no -](http://www.salon.com/2016/02/14/virgins_and_heroes_how_romance_novels_shifted_in_their_exploration_of_womens_sexuality_and_the_nature_of_consent/)

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**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romance-novel-readers-writers-do-romance-novels-play-a-role-in-shaping-womens-attitudes-toward-sex/746149/2 "2016-02-14T21:25:48Z")

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A bit tangential, but it seems soap operas have been credited with playing a big role in [declining birth rates in Brazil](http://www.npr.org/2012/01/15/145133220/brazils-falling-birth-rate-a-new-way-of-thinking), so it may not be such a stretch to argue that something similar happens with romance novels which appeal largely to the same audiences.