Kinky sex and BDSM are adventurous forms of sexuality that have become increasingly popular.

Depending on the study, research shows that up to 96% of people fantasize about kinky sex.

At least 20% and perhaps up to 83% of people have tried kinky sex at least once.

Fewer people identify as kinky or as members of a BDSM community, in part because of stigma.

Initially popularized in the United States by artists like Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith, BDSM imagery gained wider public attention through the books and movies from the 50 Shades of Grey series. BDSM and kinky sex have become so mainstream by now that it can be difficult to tell who exactly is kinky. This post reviews what qualifies as kinky, how many people report kinky fantasies, how many do kinky things, and how many identify as kinky or engage in BDSM.

What counts as kinky?

Kinky sex is an umbrella concept that covers everything that is not “vanilla” sex. "Vanilla" sex is conventional (often heterosexual) sex that in many ways is synonymous with lovemaking: toy-free, gentle intercourse between two people. Kinky sex is a much broader category that can include a wide range of adventurous sexual interactions such as tying people up, spanking/whipping/flogging them, bossing people around, submitting to being told what to do, pretending to be other people or beings, and subjecting each other or submitting to intense physical and emotional sensations. Kinky sex can include BDSM, a series of interactions that revolve around power exchange, role play, and intense sensations. As I have explained in other posts, BDSM stands for Bondage and Discipline (B/D), Dominance and submission (D/s, also called power exchange), and Sadism and Masochism (S/M).

Of the people willing to report on their fantasies to researchers, the vast majority have had a sexual fantasy that might fall within the realm of kink — even if they don’t think of it that way. People often fantasize about things that might be exciting, but that they may not actually want to do in real life. From being overpowered/overpowering someone to having sex with different people of different genders, perhaps in locations and situations not readily available in their daily lives, peoples' sexual fantasies can encompass an adventurous........

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