Sexual Fetishes Are More Common Than What One Assumes

Having a fetish is often considered a sign of deviant sexual behaviour. However, studies indicate it is more common than what one assumes. We bring you a reality check.

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Next time you think of a sexual kink, don’t beat yourself up and relax. A quick internet search will put all your doubts to rest. From groups devoted to the worship of leather, to those who get turned on by raunchy undergarments, to people who can’t orgasm without the comfort of furry stuffed toys —sexual fetishes may appear weird, but they are as real as they can get.

According to medical terminology, sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual obsession with a non-living object or a non-genital body part. “A person could be attracted to, and become sexually aroused, by inanimate objects or a body part that's not typically considered sexual, like feet for example. Others may develop a liking for a particular lifestyle that allows them to indulge in erotic role-playing, bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM),” says Dr Neelesh Tiwari, MD neuropsychiatrist & sexologist at World Brain Center Hospital and Research Institute, New Delhi. “Common fetish objects include women’s undergarments, rubber articles, leather clothing or other apparel,” he adds. While sexual fetishism can be found in both the genders, it is more common in men.

Weird, no more

People with fetishes have often been unfairly labelled as weird or abnormal. But recent research into this aspect of human sexuality has shown that a large number of people do have these tendencies (even if they don’t admit to them); like sexual orientation, they may be biologically hardwired to develop these tendencies and hence, have little to no control over them.