Kink vs. Fetish 

When it comes to sexuality, everyone has different preferences. We use the terms kink and fetish to describe these preferences. What one person finds extremely pleasurable, another may find a major turn-off. But what is the difference between a kink and a fetish? Below is everything you need to know about kinks and fetishes. 

Kink 

If you have a kink, it means you enjoy things that fall outside of “vanilla sex.” This can include activities like using handcuffs, sex toys, or blindfolding someone. It’s considered a kink because it deviates slightly from what is considered the norm in sexuality. 

Fetish 

A fetish is more focused on something that intensely arouses a person. This can include activities like public sex, foot fetishes, or underwear fetishes. Often, a fetish is a requirement for sexual arousal to occur. 

Difference 

A fetish typically involves a fixed pattern of arousal and is usually quite specific. On the other hand, a kink doesn’t necessarily have to be as specific as a fetish. A kink is typically an experience used to enhance a sexual moment. 

Can you have both a kink and a fetish? 

Yes, absolutely. People often have more than one kink or fetish. For example, if someone enjoys age play, they may engage in a role play scenario where one partner dresses as a professor and the other as a student in a school uniform. This combines both a kink and a fetish. 

Is it okay to have a kink or fetish? 

Having certain sexual interests that may be considered unconventional by most people is perfectly okay. Everyone has different preferences. The most important factor is how a person handles their kinks or fetishes. If they approach it in a healthy, safe, consensual, honest, and reciprocal manner, then their sexual behavior is healthy, even if it is rare or considered “extreme.”