Paraphilic Sexual Fantasies in a Sample of University Students from Southern Brazil

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to investigate the frequency and the possible correlation between paraphilic fantasies, hypersexuality, childhood trauma, and self-declared sexual orientation in a sample of university students from public and private institutions in Southern Brazil. Methods: An online questionnaire, through the Google Docs hosting platform, was adapted from the inventory of paraphilic interests and disorders of the Troubled-Desire website. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Hypersexual Disorder Screening Inventory was assessed, both in the Brazilian version. Results: The sample consisted of 572 students, 64% with 18–24 years; 56.5% reported female biological sex and 43.5% male. Regarding gender identity, 55.8% were female, 42.8% male, 1.4% nonbinary, and 0.7% transvestite; 53.1% of the participants declared themselves heterosexual, 31.1% bisexual, and 13.1% homosexual. About 2.4% of the participants defined themselves as pansexual, demisexual, asexual, "I don't know," "doubt," "questioning," and queer. 42.6% of the women declared themselves as bisexual and 6.7% as homosexual, whereas 18% of the men self-declared as bisexual and almost 31% as homosexual; 3.2% of male participants presented diagnoses criteria for hypersexual disorder. The difference in the frequency of hypersexual disorder in men and women was statistically significant (p=0.012). Women were more associated with masochistic sexual fantasy, whereas men were more associated with frotteurism, voyeurism, sadism, pedophilia, and cross-dressing. Conclusion: This research brings light to the presence of paraphilic fantasies in a sample of university students of Southern Brazil, which was very high, and to the absence of self-declared impairment or suffering, showing that these fantasies may not indicate a mental disorder.