Sexually explicit material (video, photography, creative writing) presents sexual content without deliberately obscuring or censoring it. This is in contrast to typical Hollywood movies, where sexual intercourse is often hinted at, or shown with the genitalia covered.

The term is not very specific, and what is or is not sexually explicit varies from culture to culture. Visual exposure of the penis or vagina and surrounding pubic hair are widely considered sexually explicit, unobscured sexual intercourse universally so. Some also consider certain language or writing (authentic reports or fiction) to be sexually explicit.

While some observers often label all sexually explicit material as pornography, this is not generally accepted, as it does not examine the intent behind the material. For example, sexual intercourse may be shown to illustrate principles of safe sex and as such be a component of liberal sex education, or in a film it may be part of a complex story and be viewed to contribute to overall plot development. An explicit rape scene may in fact have the purpose of negative conditioning, and vivid imagery of infected genitalia is often used as part of abstinence-based sex education programs.