Demographic and psychosocial features of participants in bondage and discipline, "sadomasochism" or dominance and submission (BDSM): data from a national survey.
BACKGROUND
People with sexual interests in bondage and discipline, "sadomasochism" or dominance and submission (BDSM) have been seen by many professionals as damaged or dangerous.


OBJECTIVE
To examine sexual behavior correlates of involvement in BDSM and test the hypothesis that BDSM is practiced by people with a history of sexual coercion, sexual difficulties, and/or psychological problems.


METHODS
In Australia in 2001-2002, a representative sample of 19,307 respondents aged 16-59 years was interviewed by telephone. Weighted data analysis used univariate logistic regression.


METHODS
Self-reported demographic and psychosocial factors; sexual behavior and identity; sexual difficulties.


RESULTS
In total, 1.8% of sexually active people (2.2% of men, 1.3% of women) said they had been involved in BDSM in the previous year. This was more common among gay/lesbian and bisexual people. People who had engaged in BDSM were more likely to have experienced oral sex and/or anal sex, to have had more than one partner in the past year, to have had sex with someone other than their regular partner, and to have: taken part in phone sex, visited an Internet sex site, viewed an X-rated (pornographic) film or video, used a sex toy, had group sex, or taken part in manual stimulation of the anus, fisting or rimming. However, they were no more likely to have been coerced into sexual activity, and were not significantly more likely to be unhappy or anxious-indeed, men who had engaged in BDSM scored significantly lower on a scale of psychological distress than other men. Engagement in BDSM was not significantly related to any sexual difficulties.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the idea that BDSM is simply a sexual interest or subculture attractive to a minority, and for most participants not a pathological symptom of past abuse or difficulty with "normal" sex.
Richters
Juliet
J
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. j.richters@unsw.edu.au
de Visser
Richard O
RO
Rissel
Chris E
CE
Grulich
Andrew E
AE
Smith
Anthony M A
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008398:Masochism / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012448:Sadism / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires