Fetishism Uncovered!

Sarah Gibson

Sarah Gibson is the brains and attitude behind the playful adult toy website sexgear . She is also our official ‘sexpert’.

Most of you will have been exposed to fetishism in some way, shape or form – on the TV, in movies or in your personal lives. If you were ‘forced’ to watch Sex and the City with a partner then you might remember the shoe salesman with a shoe fetish. There is a lot of mystery surrounding fetishism and below is some information you’ve always wanted to know, but never dared to ask!

What is fetishism?

The word originates from the Portuguese word feitico, which means "obsessive fascination". And the definition is: “the use of an inanimate object or a specific part of the body for physical or mental sexual stimulation”. These objects and body parts are not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature (i.e. sex toys don’t count!). Fetishism is more widespread than you might have imagined and takes many forms, from the harmless - liking your partner to wear a rubber outfit to get you in the mood; to the more extreme - the kind thing that is likely to land you in jail! Most of the time when fetishism is referred to it is the more harmless forms that are being talked about.

Objects of a fetishist’s affection

Some of the most common fetishes are: rubber, foot, leather, spandex and food fetishism – which most people can probably understand on some level. But there are some other strange fetishes, such as: amputee, belly button and swimcap fetishism! Even more bizarrely, there is a case recorded by an Austrian therapist, Viktor Frankl, where a man had a sexual fetish involving both frogs and glue simultaneously! There are no rules about what object or body part is the center of the fixation, it really could be anything at all.

What causes them?

There is a whole host of theories on what cause fetishes – none seem to be conclusive. Some psychologists think it might be hereditary. Others think it might be a result of brain structure, conditioned behaviour or the association in early childhood of an object to sexual arousal.

How do I know if I’ve got a fetish?

If you need a specific something for sexual gratification (which isn’t usually associated with sex), fantasize about that particular thing or have it present when you are masturbating or having sex with a partner to help you get off then there is a good chance you have a fetish. But don’t worry it’s only considered a problem when it interferes with your relationship or life, if it is illegal, and where sexual arousal is impossible without the fetish object. Like other obsessive or addictive behaviours (smoking or drinking), most people with fetishes embrace them and use them to enhance their sex life.

In summary, most fetishes are regarded as ‘normal variations of human sexuality’, which raises the question - what is normal nowadays anyway? What is your fetish? Feel free to leave your comments below. So there you have it, fetishism uncovered!

Take Care, Sarah Gibson at www.sexgear.co.nz

P.S. If there’s anything about sex that you’d like to ask, or a discussion you’d like to start just email me info@sg.co.nz and I’ll do my best to write about it for you here at getfrank.co.nz

 
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