Communicating Stigmatized Sexual Interests to a Partner

In society, there is a dominant idea about how sexual activity takes place. The focus is usually on the stimulation of one person`s genitals by the genitals of another person. However, people can experience sexual arousal through a wide variety of other stimuli. This project investigates the extent to which people have fetishistic, transvestic fetishistic, or sadomasochistic sexual interests. In the case of fetishistic interests, people experience sexual arousal through specific objects or body parts that are not the genitals, such as feet. People with transvestic fetishistic interests derive sexual arousal from wearing clothing typically associated with a gender other than ones own. Sadomasochistic interests involve sexual arousal through experiencing or inflicting pain. These activities follow clear rules, for example regarding the possibility to stop at any time, the intensity, or the type of pain involved, which may be, for example, psychological or physical. A central part of the project is the development of a questionnaire in both German and English that reliably measures these three types of sexual interests. The questionnaire will assess various aspects, such as fantasizing about these activities, actually engaging in them, and the degree of openness in dealing with these interests. In contrast to previous studies, this questionnaire will be formulated in a nonjudgmental way. The questionnaire will present all sexual interests as equally legitimate which shall encourage openness, reduce shame, and foster a safe environment for disclosure. The aim is to find out how common these interests, fantasies, and behaviors are among people, and whether they can be expressed and lived in everyday life or within relationships. Because these sexual interests differ from commonly held ideas about sexuality, they are often stigmatized. This stigma may make it difficult for people to speak openly about their sexual desires. The project also focuses on whether not being able to live out these interests, or fearing to express such desires in a relationship, is associated with sexual dissatisfaction or problems in romantic relationships. Additionally, the project assesses concerns and insecurities around discussing these interests and gathers peoples wishes regarding how the healthcare system shall address these topics. On the one hand, the project can show that many people have fetishistic, transvestic fetishistic, or sadomasochistic interests. On the other hand, the project aims to identify ways to help people express and live out these interests. In doing so, the project contributes to the promotion of sexual health and the improvement of health-related services.