Erotica is any material or device that arouses sexual interest or is used to enhance a sexual experience. Largely as a result of Gloria Steinem's 1980 article, the term has come to be used by most to refer to material that contains loving interaction that goes beyond the mere sexual.
Commonly, erotica is in the form of sexually explicit writing or visual images such as photographs, drawings and films. Devices made to vary or enhance pleasure during sexual activity, sometimes referred to as "sex toys", are also considered erotica.
Sexually explicit written and visual material dates back as far as ancient times and has been known to exist in numerous cultures. With the advent of the modern legal system some sexually explicit material—depending on its degree of explicitness and based on the interpretation of the observer—has been classified as obscene.
The Standards of Legal Obscenity
U.S. Supreme Court has set standards of legal obscenity, which are always implemented on a state or local level, but they are extremely difficult to apply on a case by case basis. There is no formula for deciding when something is erotica or obscenity (also called pornography), thus decisions are often left up to communities and individuals.
There are many reasons why people are interested in the use of erotica. Viewing and reading erotica provides a source of knowledge and comparison about sexual anatomy and behavior. Erotic materials are used by some to spark sexual arousal rather quickly or to prolong it, depending on the person's appetite at the time. Some people use erotic readings, pictures or movies to accompany masturbation.
Like sexual fantasies, erotica triggers the imagination and allows people to deal with forbidden or frightening aspects of sex in the controlled environment of the imagination. Erotica gives people opportunities to rehearse in their thoughts acts that they hope to try or are curious about.
Others use erotica primarily to heighten their sexual desire (but not as the main course), to turn on their partner, or simply to enrich a sexual experience with their partner.
