Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. While medical definitions restrict the term sexual fetishism to objects or body parts, [1] fetish can, in common discourse, also refer to sexual interest in specific activities.
In common parlance, the word fetish is used to refer to any sexually arousing stimuli, not all of which meet the medical criteria for fetishism. Originally, most medical sources defined fetishism as a sexual interest in non-living objects, body parts or secretions.
The publication of the DSM-III in changed that by excluding arousal from body parts in its diagnostic criteria for fetishism. In a review of 48 cases of clinical fetishism in , fetishes included clothing A study counted members of Internet discussion groups with the word fetish in their name.
Less popular groups focused on navels navel fetishism , legs, body hair, mouth, and nails, among other things. Less popular object groups focused on headwear, stethoscopes, wristwear, pacifiers, and diapers diaper fetishism.
Erotic asphyxiation is the use of choking to increase the pleasure in sex. The fetish also includes an individualized part that involves choking oneself during the act of masturbation, which is known as auto-erotic asphyxiation. This usually involves a person being connected and strangled by a homemade device that is tight enough to give them pleasure but not tight enough to suffocate them to death. This is dangerous due to the issue of hyperactive pleasure seeking which can result in strangulation when there is no one to help if the device gets too tight and strangles the user.
