While fetish fashions like leather corsets and collars are fairly common in mainstream culture, BDSM, the subculture that created these fashions, remains a mystery or taboo to most people. I've had questions from friends and family on a complete range of subjects, though the questions normally range from "Doesn't that hurt?" to "Am you normal for wanting to do this?"So, I thought I'd actually get together a full list of the questions I've been asked and other common questions about BDSM in this beginner's guide, and hopefully put away some of people's concerns and thoughts about this 'taboo' subject and hope it helps people to understand it more.

What's BDSM Stand for, Anyway?

First, let's define BDSM. It's a fairly recent term that encompasses consensual explorations of sensation and/or power dynamics. Categories like Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism are part of BDSM and can include acts like biting, spanking, tying up your partner, wearing nipple clamps, playing with sensations like ice cubes and hot wax, making use of blindfolds and gags, and role-playing, such as partners taking on dominant and submissive roles. more on bondage