Paraphilia

The term paraphilia is approximately 100 years old, but its meaning and definition vary.¹ The word itself can be broken down into two parts; the first part of the word ‘para-’ means beyond, abnormal, or irregular and the second part ‘-philia’ means love. The term itself acts as a clinical and scientific umbrella term that…

Necrophilia

Necrophilia describes a paraphilia in which an individual is aroused or attracted to fantasies of or potentially direct sexual contact with the dead. Contact between the necrophile and the corpse can take the form of penile-vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex, or masturbation in the presence of a corpse, but can also solely manifest as fantasy. Experts and lawmakers consider the explicit practice of necrophilia as…

BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, Masochism)

The acronym BDSM includes various sexual practices that fall under the category of bondage and discipline (B-D), dominance and submission (D-S), and sadism and masochism (S-M).1 The practice of BDSM has recently gained more exposure than ever before, but its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations.2 Today, BDSM is considered a kink, with a fairly large…