Breast fetishism

An image focusing on female breasts

As a paraphilia, breast fetishism (also known as mastofact, breast partialism, or mazophilia)[1] is a sexual interest that focuses exclusively on the female breasts, and is a type of partialism.[2] The term breast fetishism is also used in the non-paraphilic sense, to refer to cultural attention to female breasts and the sexuality they represent.

Scientists hypothesize that non-paraphilic sexual attraction to breasts is the result of their function as a secondary sex characteristic. The breasts play roles in both sexual pleasure and reproduction.[3]

Some authors have discussed the modern widespread fascination with breasts among heterosexual males in Western societies, especially in the United States, within the context of sexual fetishism.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Hickey, Eric W. (2003-07-22). Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. ISBN 978-0-7619-2437-1.
  2. ^ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders American Psychiatric Association - 5th edition (5th ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013. p. 701. ISBN 978-0-89042-555-8.
  3. ^ Lehmiller, Justin (2018). The Psychology of Human Sexuality (Second ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-1-119-16473-9.
  4. ^ Slade, Joseph W. (2000). Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 402. ISBN 978-0-313-31520-6.
  5. ^ Miller, Laura (2006). Beauty Up: Exploring Contemporary Japanese Body Aesthetics. University of California Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-520-24509-9.
  6. ^ Latteier 1998