Qantas defends pleasurable sex secrets doco

The French documentary 'The Female Orgasm Explained' could offend some viewers. Photo / Supplied

A racy documentary about the female orgasm offered on Qantas flights could have many passengers squirming in their seats.

French-language film The Female Orgasm Explained features old porn clips, naked scenes and women kissing.

Originally shown on Australian network SBS, it aims to help viewers understand the mystery of the female orgasm through the eyes of eight women aged between 24 and 68.

The 48-minute film is rated MA (mature audience only), for viewers aged 15 and older. But it is available on all international flights as part of the in-flight entertainment programme.

Qantas spokesman Luke Enright said the film was the most popular on its television channel The Edge and would continue to be screened until November.

An on-screen guide describes the documentary and the channel also carries a warning that its content is not suitable for children.

Enright said crew were able to block content to the seat of unaccompanied minors at the request of parents.

Programmes were selected according to the quality of content, box office ratings, topicality, and customer demographics, he said.

On Air New Zealand flights a number of films carry an R rating, meaning passengers aged under-17 may only watch them with an accompanying parent or adult.

Cabin crew could lock out certain programmes for unaccompanied minors who sat close to crew, said spokesman Mark Street.

Victoria University director of sociology Kevin Dew said showing the orgasm documentary as Qantas in-flight entertainment was "extending it a bit far".

"It does make you worry and think, 'will they then put some soft porn on?' It seems unsavoury to me," he said.

Dew said long-haul flights brought together people with different values in a small space, and passengers could not choose whom they sat next to.

Offering this film as part of the in-flight entertainment then strayed into "difficult territory".

"It strikes me as somewhat bizarre," he said. "I would think airlines would err on the side of conservative."