Inhuman sexuality,kinkiness is the use ofsexual practices, concepts orfantasies that are notconventional. The term derives from the idea of a "bend" (cf. a "kink") in one's sexual behaviour, to contrast such behaviour with "straight" or "vanilla" sexualmores and proclivities. It is thus a colloquial term for non-normative sexual behaviour.[1] The term "kink" has been claimed by some who practicesexual fetishism as a term or synonym for their practices, indicating a range of sexual and sexualistic practices from playful tosexual objectification and certainparaphilias. In the 21st century the term "kink", along with expressions likeBDSM,leather andfetish, has become more commonly used than the termparaphilia.[1] Some universities also feature student organizations focused on kinks, within the context of widerLGBTQ concerns.[2]
Kink sexual practices go beyond what are considered conventional sexual practices as a means of heightening the intimacy between sexual partners. Some draw a distinction between kink and fetishism, defining the former as enhancing partner intimacy, and the latter as replacing it.[3] Because of its relation toconformist sexual boundaries, which themselves vary by time and place, the definition of what is and is not a kink varies widely as well.[4][5]
Kinks can also be engaged in non-sexually. In one study, up to 35% of participants highly involved in BDSM said it was primarily non-sexual for them.[6] Additionally, people who identify as asexual sometimes engage in kink.[6]
In a study published in 2016, 1040 persons "corresponding to the norm for the province of Quebec" were interviewed; nearly half of this sample reported an interest "in at least one paraphilic category", and approximately one-third had "had experience with such a practice at least once."[4]
Speculation on the cause of kinks has implicated biological, psychological and social origins. It is sometimes assumed that kinks (particularlymasochism) are the result of trauma or childhood abuse, however research has shown that kink participants have slightly lower rates of childhood abuse and trauma than the general population.[7]
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