What are “unusual” sexual fantasies?

The results of the study, which claims to be the first scientific paper in the world to attempt to define the boundaries beyond which sexual deviance begins, were recently published in the journal Sexual Medicine.

The authors of this study, collaborators from two Canadian medical institutes, say that the existing scientific literature on paraphilia, or unusual sexual fantasies, lacks a precise definition of sexual behavior abnormality.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) refers to “abnormal” behavior only the most severe sexual deviations, and the World Health Organization /WHO/ uses very vague definitions when defining “abnormal” paraphilias .

“We are able to fully define pathological sexual behavior, it has 3 separate criteria – the disapproval of the sexual partner, the infliction of pain, the impossibility of achieving orgasm without using sexual perversion” – states one of the co-authors of the study Christian Joyal. “But usually serious chronic diseases start with milder manifestations.

And so we can reasonably ask ourselves the question – which sexual deviations can still be considered normal and which require medical intervention and treatment?” – he also points out.

Joyal and his colleagues conducted a study among a large group of people to find out. 799 men and 718 women from Quebec participated in the study, the average age of the respondents was 30 years. The participants had to describe their sexual fantasies in a survey, and the scientists required that their favorite fantasy (of the volunteers) be described in the most detail.

The results of the survey analysis showed that the nature of sexual fantasies is very diverse.

As an example of a “rare” fantasy, the authors point to one in which a child or animal participates in the sexual act. “Unusual” fantasies the authors call urinating during intercourse, wearing a special arousing garment, sex with several prostitutes or with a person excessively intoxicated by the use of alcohol.

And to the “typical” fantasies, the authors refer to sex in a romantic place, getting an orgasm during oral sex, or for men – sexual contact with 2 women.

The research also confirms the common opinion that men’s sexual fantasies are much more frequent, more extensive and colorful than women’s.

In addition, the results of the study show dramatic differences in how men and women act out their sexual fantasies in real life.
For example, although 30-60% of women described in detail the sexual fantasy of submission, that is, an idea in which the man is tied to the woman and forces her to have sex with him, few of the fair sex planned to turn this fantasy of theirs into reality.

For men, it was the exact opposite – most of them stated that they like to realize their fantasies.

Joyal commented on the received data as follows:

“The discoveries we made allow us to shed light on certain social phenomena, such as the incredible popularity of the book “50 Shades of Grey” among women.”

One of the most interesting findings of the study, Joyal considers the discovery of a large amount of male fantasies related to anal sex, homosexual sexual relations with men and sexual contacts with transsexual women.

This fact is interesting from the point of view that it cannot be explained from the standpoint of evolutionary biology.

The authors see great prospects for research of this kind. At the moment, they have started a statistical analysis of the data they have already received.