In the context of obscenity law, prurient interest is a morbid or unhealthy interest in sex. It is a subjective standard often difficult to define. However, it generally refers to an interest in sex that is excessive, lustful, or gratuitous. The problem is knowing what threshold constitutes “excessive, lustful, or gratuitous” which varies greatly from evangelical to bohemian points of view.

The prurient interest standard is often criticized for being vague and subjective. It is difficult to define what constitutes a “morbid or unhealthy” interest in sex, and what constitutes “graphic or explicit” sexual content. As a result, the prurient interest standard has been used to censor a wide range of material that does not meet the common understanding of what is obscene.