An unusual sex survey has found that Australians who enjoy bondage and discipline are not damaged or dangerous, and may even experience greater happiness than those engaged in “normal” sex.
The research indicated that two percent of adult Australians participate regularly in sadomasochism as well as dominance and submission-type sexual role play.
Contrary to popular stereotypes, these individuals are not likely acting out due to past sexual abuse or due to feeling “sexually deficient,” according to a study involving 20,000 Australians conducted by public health researchers at the University of NSW.
“Our findings support the notion that bondage and discipline and sadomasochism (BDSM) represents merely a sexual interest or subculture that is appealing to a minority,” noted Associate Professor Juliet Richters and her colleagues in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The results revealed that BDSM practices are more prevalent among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, and participants generally exhibited tendencies toward greater sexual adventurousness in other areas.
“Yet, they were not more likely to have been coerced into sexual activities and did not show significant differences in levels of unhappiness or anxiety,” explained Prof Richters, the author of Doing It Down Under.
Interestingly, men engaging in these practices may actually be happier, as findings suggested they reported significantly lower levels of psychological distress compared to other men.
Although the researchers did not explore the reasons behind this, they hypothesize that it could be due to these individuals achieving a sense of self-acceptance through their unusual interests.
Prof Richters stated that these findings challenge prevailing professional opinions about BDSM.
“For a long time, individuals with these sexual interests have been viewed by medicine and the legal field as, at best, damaged and in need of therapy, or at worst, dangerous and requiring legal oversight,” she remarked.
Additionally, there has been a widespread assumption, particularly among the general public, that those involved in BDSM must be sexually deficient, requiring intense stimuli—such as being beaten or restrained—to become aroused.
She expressed her hope that the study’s results will contribute to altering these misconceptions.
by Debbie Dot