taboo, (ta-bu') A ban or an inhibition resulting from social custom or emotional aversion; excluded or forbidden from use, approach, or mention: a taboo subject.

PART 7: "Kink Without Toys: Exploring Paraphilias",

By Master Erik, Publisher

A paraphilia is any of several persistent, intense sexual interests, fantasies, or urges involving nonhuman objects, pain or humiliation, children, or non-consenting individuals.

Paraphilias may interfere with the capacity for sexual activity with consenting adult partners.

Some of the more common and widely known paraphilias include:

Exhibitionism: the recurrent urge or behavior to expose one's genitals to an unsuspecting person. (Can also be the recurrent urge or behavior to perform sexual acts in a public place, or in view of unsuspecting persons---the most common example being having sex with curtains/windows open, so people can see/hear.)

Voyeurism: the recurrent urge or behavior to observe an unsuspecting person who is naked, disrobing or engaging in sexual activities, or may not be sexual in nature at all.

Frotteurism: the recurrent urges of behavior of touching or rubbing against a non-consenting person.

Pedophilia: the sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

Sexual Masochism: the recurrent urge or behavior of wanting to be humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer for sexual pleasure.

Sexual Sadism: the recurrent urge or behavior involving acts in which the pain or humiliation of a person is sexually exciting.

Transvestic fetishism: a sexual attraction towards the clothing of the opposite gender.

Telephone Scatalogia: the recurrent urge or behavior to make obscene phone calls, and engage in either phone sex or masturbation during the call.

Necrophilia: a sexual attraction towards corpses or simulated sexual intercourse with a dead body.

Zoophilia / bestiality: a sexual attraction towards sexual acts with animals.

Urophilia and Coprophilia: a sexual attraction towards sexual acts involving urine and/or feces, or more commonly known as "golden showers" and "brown showers" or "scat".

Clinicians distinguish between optional, preferred and exclusive paraphilias, though the terminology is not completely standardized. An "optional" paraphilia is an alternative route to sexual arousal. For example, a man with otherwise unremarkable sexual interests might sometimes seek or enhance sexual arousal by wearing women's underwear. In preferred paraphilias, a person prefers the paraphilia to conventional sexual activities, but also engages in conventional sexual activities. For example, a man might prefer to wear women's underwear during sexual activity, whenever possible. In exclusive paraphilias, a person is unable to become sexually aroused in the absence of the paraphilia.

Optional paraphilias are far more common than preferred paraphilias, which are, in turn, far more common than exclusive paraphilias. Optional paraphilias sometimes disrupt stable relationships when discovered by an unsuspecting partner. Preferred paraphilias often disrupt otherwise stable relationships. Open communication and mutual support can minimize or prevent such disruption in both of these cases. Exclusive paraphilias often preclude normal courtship and committed romantic relationships, even when the person in question desires such a relationship. Loneliness or social isolation are common consequences. In extreme cases, preoccupation with a preferred or exclusive paraphilia completely displaces the more typical desire for loving human relationships.

The treatment of paraphilias and related disorders has been challenging for patients and clinicians. In the past, surgical castration was advocated as a therapy for men with paraphilias, but it was abandoned because it is considered a cruel punishment and is now illegal in most countries. In humans, testosterone has a crucial role not only in the development and maintenance of male sexual characteristics but also in the control of sexuality, aggression, cognition, emotion, and personality. Testosterone is a major determinant of sexual desire, fantasies, and behavior, and it increases the frequency, duration, and magnitude of spontaneous and nocturnal erections. The deviant sexual fantasies, urges, and behavior of men with paraphilias also appear to be triggered by testosterone. Therefore, reducing testosterone secretion or inhibiting its action is believed to control these symptoms.

Antiandrogenic drugs such as medroxyprogesterone (also known as the long-acting contraceptive Depo Provera) have been widely used as therapy in these men to reduce sex drive. However, their efficacy is limited and they have many unpleasant side effects, including breast growth, headaches, weight gain, and reduction in bone density. Even if compliance is good, only 60 to 80 percent of men benefit from this type of drug.

Various religious adherents view various paraphilias as deviations from a divine plan for human sexuality, as understood through their religious tradition or laws. Depending in part on the nature of the paraphilia in question, judgments can differ as to whether religiously it should be considered a case of sexual sin, mental illness, or simply harmless sexual variation. Another variable is whether it is the acting out, or (less commonly) just the desirous thought alone, which is critically viewed in such cases. In any event, several paraphilias, such as bestiality or pedophilia, are viewed negatively by various religions.

Some religious traditions include forms of extreme asceticism, such as whipping, which, when practiced as sexual activities, would usually be considered masochism and popularly viewed as paraphilias. When practiced for non-sexual reasons, they are usually valued by the religious groups concerned as a part of their religious observance and submission to God.

As a general rule, the law in many countries often intervenes in paraphilias involving young or adolescent children below the legal age of consent and sex with animals due to duty of care issues and general public abhorrence of the practice. There is also legal intervention concerning non-consensual deliberate displays or illicit watching of sexual activity, illegal manipulation of dead people, harassment, nuisance, fear, injury, or assault of a sexual nature. Separately, it also usually regulates or controls censorship of pornographic material.

Exhibitionism, in cases where people who have not previously agreed to watch are exposed to sexual display, is also an offense in most jurisdictions, as is voyeurism when unarranged, in cases where people who have not previously agreed to watch are exposed to sexual display, is also an offense in most jurisdictions, as is voyeurism when unarranged.

Non-consensual sadomasochistic acts may legally constitute assault and therefore belong in the list below. Some jurisdictions criminalize some or all sadomasochistic acts, regardless of legal consent, and impose liability for any injuries caused.

Sadomasochistic acts may legally constitute assault and some jurisdictions criminalize some or all sadomasochistic acts, regardless of legal consent, and impose liability for any injuries caused.

Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual attraction to materials and objects not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature; the term was first introduced by Alfred Binet, the psychologist better known for inventing IQ testing. Fetishism is diagnosable as a paraphilia, but many people embrace their fetishes rather than seek treatment to attempt to be rid of them. Body parts may also be the subject of sexual fetishes in which the body part preferred by the fetishist takes a sexual precedence over the owner.

Fetishism can also take on the form of particular types of clothing.

Jacket fetishism is most usually associated with the fixation or attraction to padded nylon jackets---though it is also associated with jackets, particularly in association with BDSM. In a survey, researchers at the University of Bologne found that 9 percent of people were turned on by jackets, making it the third most popular garment fetish after shoes (heels) and Costumes

 

Glove fetishism is where an individual is obsessed and fixated by another or oneself wearing gloves on their hands. In some cases, the fetish is enhanced by the material of the glove, (i.e., leather, silk, cotton, latex, satin, nylon, or fur.)

 

Shoe fetishism, also known as retifism (after Nicolas-Edme Retif), involves being fixated on footwear to the extent it may interfere with sexual expression. Although shoes carry sexual connotations in mainstream culture (for example, women's shoes are commonly sold as being "sexy") this is not generally considered to be shoe fetishism, although it may qualify as a form of partialism.

Boot fetishism is very closely related to shoe fetishism. Many of the same sexual appeals regarded high-heeled shoes apply to boots. In most cases the fetish of the boot is accompanied by a fetish for the material which it is made from. Examples could be leather or latex. High-heeled boots create the illusion of a longer-legged appearance, which is considered to be more physically attractive. In general, boots can be divided into three primary structural categories and sub-divided from there. There are ankle-length, knee-high and thigh-high boots.

A uniform fetish is a sexual fetish in which someone enjoys dressing in a uniform, or derives sexual pleasure from viewing another person dressed in this manner. It does not require any actual sexual contact per se. Among the commonest uniforms in heterosexual uniform fetish are those of a schoolgirl, nurse, French maid, waitress, cheerleader and Playboy Bunny. Nuns' habits could also be regarded as uniforms, and for those immune to the sacrilegious aspects, can make for some great roleplay possibilities!

People may fetish someone dressed as a policeman, soccer player, soldier, doctor, dentist or firefighter. The uniforms may be realistic, or made more sexual by being made of leather or latex. A schoolgirl uniform fetish is where someone derives sexual pleasure from viewing others dressed like schoolgirls or someone enjoys dressing in the typical uniform; either a school skirt or culottes. The schoolgirl uniform fetish is common in both Japanese and Western pornography, making it one of the most widespread clothing-oriented fetishes worldwide. In Western pornography, the typical uniform is a somewhat adjusted version of the classical type. This is sometimes described as a Catholic schoolgirl uniform, although in the United Kingdom it is also worn in most public and private schools.

Underwear in the form of panties, pantyhose, stockings and garter, boxer briefs, jockstraps, g-strings and the like, is a common theme in garment fetishism. Stocking fetishists usually find sexual partners clothed in sheer nylon or silk stockings to be sexually stimulating, or find the act of a person slowly donning or removing a pair of stockings arousing. Some men find it arousing to collect and wear stockings, sometimes hidden under a pair of trousers.

Suit and tie fetishism or a suit fetish describes an attraction towards men and women wearing business and/or formalwear (or photos or video of men and women in such clothing, or the objects of clothing themselves), and also men who get aroused when they themselves are in such clothing. Generally, the arousal first appears in adolescence, but many men report having arousal from seeing other males in suit and tie (or from wearing one themselves) from pre-school age. Typical people with a suit and tie fetish are fixated on the thought of their neck being compressed by a tight collar, or having sexual encounters that involve at least one of the participants dressed in a suit or tuxedo, and will seek out visual and tactical stimuli to aid their sexual fantasy..

Glasses fetishism is the name used to describe an attraction to people wearing prescription glasses, sunglasses, or cosmetic contact lenses, or in certain cases, to the act of wearing glasses or the glasses themselves. In many cases wearing glasses during sexual acts and ejaculation on glasses play an important role. An entire genre of pornography has developed around the theme of women wearing glasses during sexual acts. Although attraction to people wearing glasses is generally not considered to be a form of paraphilia, extreme forms of this attraction appear to be paraphiliac..

 

Garment fetishes are often specified in terms of the fabric or material involved, rather than garment type. this gives rise to sub-genres based for example upon materials such as leather, rubber, fur, latex and PVC. Latex fetish is the attraction latex clothing or garments and sometimes called rubber fetishism as latex is a type of rubber. Latex or rubber fetishists may refer to themselves as "Rubberists". PVC fetishism is closely related to latex fetishism and involves a sexual attraction to shiny plastic clothes made from PVC, polyurethane or similar man made materials. PVC may be mistaken for shiny patent leather.

Nylon fetishism is similar to PVC and latex fetishism and includes the wearing of shiny raincoats, jackets and trousers, especially those belonging to the other sex.

Latex fetish involves wearing clothing made from latex, observing it worn by others, and having sexual fantasies about wearing latex garments, catsuits, hoods, divers or industrial protective clothing. A common latex fetish icon is the Dominatrix wearing a skin-tight glossy black latex or a PVC catsuit.

A subgroup of the PVC fetishism is clear PVC clothing such as clear plastic raincoats, slipcovers, and custom clothing made out of clear PVC.

Many sextoys such as dildos and butt plugs are made from rubber or similar materials, and this may be factor contributing to a type of rubber fetish. Some rubber fetishists have what is termed a medical fetish or have a sexual interest in klismaphilia---medical gloves and catheters of latex, as well as condoms. Other fetish objects may include disposable diapers and plastic pants.

Spandex fetishism is an attraction to people wearing stretchy fabrics or, in certain cases, to the garments themselves. One reason why spandex and other tight fabrics may be fetished is that the garment forms a "second skin," acting as a fetishistic surrogate for the wearer's own skin. Wearers of skin-tight nylon and cotton spandex garments can appear naked or coated in a shiny or matte substance like paint. The tightness of the garments may also be seen as sexual bondage. Another reason is that nylon-spandex fabric (preferred by many spandex fetishists) is often produced with a very smooth and silk-like finish, which lends a tactile dimension to the fetish - as well as a visual one.

In comic books, superheroes, superheroines, and supervillains are generally depicted as wearing costumes made of spandex or a similar material. The superheroines always wear skintight, very flashy and bright-colored costumes that usually cover only just enough of the female body to be presentable. Fantasies involving superheroes or the wearing of superhero costumes are commonly associated with spandex fetishism.

All in all, sexual fetishism may be regarded as a disorder of sexual preference, or as an enhancing element to a relationship. Most of the sexual orientations popularly called fetishism are regarded as normal variations of human sexuality by psychologists and medical doctors. Even those orientations that are potential forms of fetishism are usually considered unobjectionable as long as all involved persons feel comfortable. Only if the diagnostic criteria are met, the medical diagnosis of fetishism is justified. The leading thought is that a fetishist is ill only because he or she suffers from their addiction, not simply because of the addiction itself.