You’ve likely heard of foot fetishes, furries, and bondage. However, there’s a bottomless well of things that turn people on. You’ll often hear of these things referred to as sexual kinks or fetishes. But these two terms are not interchangeable. According to sex therapist Kelifern Pomeranz, all fetishes are kinks, but not all kinks are fetishes. She says that “A fetish is a sexual attraction to inanimate objects, body parts, or situations not commonly viewed as sexual in nature, while a kink is a broader term that includes a variety of sexual interests, behaviors, preferences, and fantasies that are thought to be outside of the mainstream.”
Fetishes are often stigmatized due to societal sexual shame and the fact that they may puzzle the masses. However, the truth is that there’s no such thing as normal. Any desire can be weird and gross to some and hot to others. For all of the established fetishes and kinks out there, there are just as many new ones that you haven’t heard of. As long as you can imagine it, there’s probably a fetish or kink centered around that idea.
For your edification, here are 8 kinks and fetishes you’ve probably never heard of:
1. Quirofilia
Hand partialism is another name for this. A person into quirofilia is especially drawn to fingers and hands. This fetish may involve attraction to certain parts of the hands or certain acts performed by hands, such as dishwashing and handjobs. Working it into foreplay is a great way to introduce this into your sex life.
2. Emetophilia
Emetophilia, attraction to vomit, is a rare but real fetish. This can present itself in being attracted to the sight of your own vomit or the vomit of someone else, the act of listening to or watching vomiting, or doing the vomiting on your own. Although knowledge on emetophilia is scarce, the themes of humiliation, dominance, and submission are evident within the fetish.
3. Formicophilia
Formicophilia revolves around attraction to and arousal by small insects or creatures crawling on the body, especially the genital area, and stinging, or biting in the process. Insects such as bees, cockroaches, ants, or snails can be sources of erotic pleasure.
4. Hybristophilia
This is taking it past having a thing for leather jacket wearing bad boys. Hybristophilia is sexual arousal from being with a partner who committed either an act of dishonesty (such as infidelity or lying) or a heinous crime (such as rape or murder). This may explain why serial killers, such as Ted Bundy, attract so many women.
5. Salirophilia
Salirophilia is a sexual fetish that causes individuals to experience sexual arousal from soiling or disheveling the object of their desire. The behavior never involves harming their partner, however it includes a variety of activities. These range from being turned on by a sexual partner wearing torn clothing, ejaculating over pictures of someone they’re attracted to, or participating in “sploshing”. (This is when someone covers another person, often a woman, in mud or other substances that are not bodily fluids.)
6. Mechanophilia
Mechnolphiles become sexually aroused by motor vehicles and other machines. The sources of attraction range from bicycles and motor vehicles to helicopters and ships. In some countries, mechanolphilia is a crime and can land those who engage in it on the sex offender registry.
7. Plushophiia
Stuffed animals and the urge to rub up against them plays a role in the developing sexuality of children going through puberty. However, some people take this behavior into adulthood. Many plushophilies modify their stuffed animals by creating holes reminiscent of those found in sex toys to allow for sexual interaction. Emotional arousal can take place along with sexual arousal.
8. Urophilia
Colloquially known as “water sports,” urophilia is a fetish that sees individuals become sexually aroused from urination. Outside of being peed on, the sources of attraction that are attached to this fetish include watching individuals urinate, watching someone drink pee, having someone drink your pee, or watching someone be peed on. A BDSM element may be at work in this fetish, too. After all, the subject of this act is submissive, which may evoke feelings of humiliation.
Exploration of sexuality and what turns you on can be empowering. Moreover, it can lead you to understand your sexuality on a deeper level. Direct and frequent communication is necessary and important if you want to explore these kinks or any others with a partner. Remember that consent is essential when testing out kinks and that there is no such thing as “normal” sexual desires.
Photo by Dainis Graveris on SexualAlpha
