BDSM activities may trigger biological effects in their participants, according to new research in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The acronym BDSM stands for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. People who engage in BDSM often “play” in sexual scenarios that involve power struggles, where one partner is in a dominant position and the other is submissive. BDSM play may also include pain.
Past research suggests that BDSM activities are actually quite common, and some participants describe a “euphoric state,” similar to a “runner’s high.” However, it is not clear whether physiological changes are involved with such feelings.
In this study, researchers looked for the presence of biomarkers in blood samples from BDSM practitioners and a control group of individuals who did not engage in BDSM. In particular, the research team analyzed levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and endocannabinoids (chemicals linked to pleasure).
Thirty-five BDSM couples (dominant and submissive counterparts) took part in the study. The play of each couple was observed for 30 to 90 minutes in a BDSM club.
The researchers took blood samples for each BDSM participant at three time points: before play began, immediately after play, and after a 15- to 20-minute “aftercare” period, during which the couples rested and reflected.
The control group, consisting of 27 individuals, socialized in a sports club cafeteria and had their blood drawn three times.
After analyzing the samples, the researchers found that submissive participants had increased cortisol levels, but dominants did not. Cannabinoid levels in submissives were also raised from play.
“Our findings suggest that submissives engaging in BDSM play derive pleasure from these interactions,” the authors wrote.
Results were different for the dominant participants, who had higher endocannabinoid levels only when BDSM behaviors included power play (as opposed to pain play).
The authors explained that while pain might trigger a pleasure response from submissives, dominants “seem to derive more pleasure from the aspect of power play and the control they have over the submissive person.”
Learning more about these biological responses could help clinicians better understand BDSM behaviors and the reasons behind them. In turn, the stigma and taboo associated with BDSM might be minimized, the authors noted.
Resources
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Wuyts, Elise MD, et al.
“Between Pleasure and Pain: A Pilot Study on the Biological Mechanisms Associated With BDSM Interactions in Dominants and Submissives”
(Full-text. Published online: February 7, 2020)
https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(20)30026-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email