Sex

10 Weird Facts You Don't Know About BDSM And Kinky Sex

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kink (BDSM)

Whether you're a Fifty Shades of Grey fan or not, you can probably appreciate that the book has brought awareness to individuals, homes and now college campuses. And not just any college campus, either. Try Harvard University. 

Here's what Ivy Leagers are most likely to know about kinky sex and BDSM.

The ten weird facts about BDSM and kink: 

1. Sex and kink have been around forever.

What one culture considers taboo, another considers commonplace. What's certain is that erotica has been part of every civilization known to humans, as seen in erotic art dating back to Paleolithic time.

2. Shame is often used as a control tactic.

Societies have tried to control sexual behavior since the beginning of time through shaming tactics. Generally speaking, cultures with the highest shame and lowest education about sex have the higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and low sexual satisfaction.

3. People are willing to try BDSM. 

The true BDSM meaning? Bondage (restraint), Discipline (mental or psychological restraint), Dominance/Submission (control and personal power), Sadism/Masochism (receiving pleasure from watching or inflicting pain onto others).

4. Kink is becoming more common in relationships.

Most people have taken part in some sort of BDSM. Role-playing, blindfolding, tie-ups and spankings are all forms of kink.

5. The meaning of sex varies according to the individual.

Just like "love" varies from person to person, everyone has their own definition of sex, which means that kink practitioners require a high degree of communication to discover one another's meaning. "Safe, sane and consensual" is a commonly heard mantra amongst kink groups.

6. Sadism has a pretty interesting history.

Sadism is a derivative of the author Marquis de Sade's name. Napoleon imprisoned Sade for the last 13 years of his life for writing Juliette, a novel about a nymphomaniac.

7. Kink comes with responsibility.

It's well-known in the BDSM community that there are responsibilities in both dominance and submissive roles. It's also well-known that people who are in high-powered positions in their work life may enjoy submissive and low decision-making roles in their sex life. 

8. BDSM groups exist.

The definition of a "munch" is a group of people involved in or interested in BDSM, or now more broadly known as a kink lifestyle. The word munch was short for "burger munch" which got its name in the 80s when some of the first groups met at burger joints and casual restaurants for a munch of a burger (and more).

9. Pain and pleasure are close cousins.

The mind moves away from pain as a first priority and toward pleasure as a second priority. For many people, pain causes sexual arousal. In fact, according to a study by Kinsey, Pomeroy, and Martin, approximately half the people interviewed had been sexually aroused by having been bitten (or munched).

10. Kink is a lifestyle. 

Harvard students know to get connected with other kinks and kink resources including NCSF (The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom) and The Society of Janus. NCSF also lists kink-friendly helping professionals like counselors and therapists.