Sexuality in The 21st Century: Leather or Rubber? 

DEFINITION

DSM-5 defines a paraphilia as any intense and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physically mature, consenting human partners. It is also seen as any sexual interest greater than or equal to normophilic sexual interest. Paraphilias include preferential sexual interests and may be focused on anomalous activity preferences (subdivided into courtship and algolagnic disorders) or anomalous target preferences.

TYPES OF FETISH ACTIVITIES

As previously mentioned, the types of fetish may include clothing, rubber and rubber items, leather, footwear, material or fabrics. In a now-classic article, Chalkley et al. reported from 48 cases attending a clinic. The case note studies revealed that the median age of the sample was 28; 47 out of 48 were men; more than half had an interest in clothes and nearly a quarter, in leather. Among these 48 individuals, the total number of fetishes was 122. Out of the 48 individuals, 17 had only one fetish; nine had two fetishes; 12 had three fetishes; six had four fetishes; and one each had five, six, seven and nine fetishes. They reported a case series and, not knowing the denominator, it is difficult to extract prevalence rates. However, the study confirms that it is more common in men.

Gosselin et al. noted that those who had a rubber fetish and those with a leather fetish scored high on introversion when compared with those with sadomasochistic tendencies. They had normal socioeconomic variations. Weinberg et al. studied 262 foot fetishist members of a society. He reported that among homosexual men, foot fetish was not uncommon. The prevalence data are often limited and not easy to extrapolate from case series or case reports. In a summary of 2450 individuals in Sweden, it was found that men and those who had lower levels of satisfaction with life and used drugs or alcohol were more likely to have fetishistic behaviours.^,  Langstrom et al. observed transvestic fetishism in 0.4% of women and 2.8% of men. These individuals (with fetish) showed higher rates than expected rates of separation from their parents in childhood and also showed high levels of arousal and masturbation.

Two important theories regarding possible underlying causes that have been put forward are as follows:

• (i) Psychoanalytic perspectives: Kernberg proposed three different psychoanalytic theories to explain what he calls ‘perversions’. These Freudian theories define perversions as permanent and obligatory deviation from the normal. The second concept is derived from object relations theory related to paranoid distortion of early parental images. The third theory focuses on regression which transforms the symbolic relation with the genital phallus and that early relation with the mother is of fundamental aetiological importance in perversions. Kernberg notes that normal sexual behaviour can be more inclusive than the classical psychoanalytic definition. Thus, there may be some issues related to regression and transformation of symbols.
• (ii) Behavioural factors: Classic conditioning can play a role, as can instrumental learning. Authors demonstrated the latter that men could learn to become sexually aroused in the absence of erotic stimuli when they were provided with feedback and contingent monetary reinforcement. Another possibility that has been put forward is that of social learning (which incorporates both operant conditioning and social cognition. La Torre showed that men who had experienced rejection in a relationship were more likely to rate pictorial stimuli or pictures of women’s garments and body parts.

Aetiological factors

Sexual instinct is said to be powerfully driven by inflexible emotions which arise deep within the ancient parts of the brain, and these include innate releasing mechanisms and imprinting. Instinct and hormones appear to set the stage for sexual responding and learning changes the script.

Sociocultural factors

Culture and socialisation influence human sexual desire. Certain cultures place major importance on certain body parts and certain sexual practices. It is inevitable that consequent upon patriarchy and male control in many societies, female sexuality is subjugated and more likely to be affected by social and cultural factors.

Darcangelo suggests that sociobiological studies note that fetishism is also seen in primates, but why the cultural variations in prevalence as well as presentation are not clear. Socialisation does play a role in the formation and maintenance of fetishistic behaviours.

Biological factors

Ramachandran proposed that the region in the brain which processes sensory input from the feet is next to the region which processes genital stimulation, and there may be an accidental link between the two. Epstein proposed that fetishism may be based on a reflex component within the temporo-limbic region of the brain, and, although usually inhibited, it may be released under certain circumstances such as brain injury.