(064) From Fantasy to Communication: BDSM Engagement, Sexual Experience Breadth, and Pleasure Deservingness Among College Women

Abstract Introduction BDSM engagement is often assumed to correlate positively with sexual communication comfort and sexual agency (Carty Payton, 2025; Meeker et al., 2020). Similarly, the number of lifetime sexual partners is frequently used as a proxy for sexual experience in both research and clinical settings. These assumptions obscure the nuanced realities of how sexual self-concept forms, particularly among people with BDSM interests. Clarifying what predicts sexual communication, pleasure deservingness (self- and partner-oriented), and pleasure assertiveness self-efficacy has clinical and educational implications. Objective We tested whether BDSM fantasy and behavior engagement, number of lifetime sexual partners, and breadth of sexual experience predicted four domains of sexual agency: sexual communication comfort, self-/partner-oriented pleasure deservingness, and pleasure assertiveness self-efficacy. Methods College women (N = 192; 81% white, 75% heterosexual) completed an online survey assessing sexual experience, BDSM fantasy subtypes, fetish activity, and sexual communication and subjectivity (ie, sense of deservingness to experience pleasure from the self vs from a partner, and self-efficacy advocating for pleasure). Hierarchical linear regressions evaluated whether BDSM fantasy and any lifetime fetish behavior explained additional variance beyond partner count and sum scores of sexual experience. Model improvement was assessed via ANOVA; all analyses were conducted in R version 4.3. Results Across all outcomes, sexual experience consistently predicted stronger sexual agency (all ps .05), outperforming lifetime sexual partner count. Submission fantasies were positively associated with sexual communication (β = .29, p = .038), while voyeuristic fantasies were negatively associated (β = –.48, p = .025); however, the overall BDSM model was not a better predictor of communication than either element alone (p = .228). For self-directed pleasure deservingness, submission fantasies emerged as a significant positive predictor (β = .35, p = .016), and partner count showed a small negative association (β = –.13, p = .039). Adding BDSM engagement improved model fit for this domain (ΔR2 = .076, p = .084). For partner-directed pleasure deservingness, BDSM variables significantly improved model prediction (ΔR2 = .095, p = .024), though no single fantasy dimension reached significance. For pleasure assertiveness self-efficacy, BDSM engagement did not add significant explanatory power (p = .197), but sexual experience breadth remained a significant predictor (p = .003). Conclusions These findings challenge assumptions that BDSM engagement or number of partners inherently reflect greater internalized sexual agency or skills. Instead, breadth of sexual experience emerged as a more reliable predictor of communication comfort, pleasure deservingness, and pleasure assertiveness. Clinically, this suggests that individuals with BDSM interests or more lifetime sexual partners may still lack foundational sexual communication skills and should not be presumed self-efficacious. Submission fantasies were uniquely associated with increased self-oriented pleasure deservingness, which may reflect a reframing of receptivity as worthiness. Conversely, voyeuristic fantasies were linked to lower communication comfort, raising possibilities of erotic distancing or avoidance. Overall, results underscore the importance of evaluating sexual development through experiential diversity, not frequency alone, and call for longitudinal research to trace how fantasy, behavior, and sexual negotiation skills evolve. Disclosure No.