Editing BDSM (section)

==== Comparison between gay and straight men in S/M ====
Demographically, Nordling et al.'s (2006) study found no differences in age, but 43% of gay male respondents compared to 29% of straight males had university-level education. The gay men also had higher incomes than the general population and tended to work in [[white-collar worker|white-collar]] jobs while straight men tended toward [[blue-collar]] ones. Because there were not enough female respondents (22), no conclusions could be drawn from them.

Sexually speaking, the same 2006 study by Nordling et al. found that gay males were aware of their S/M preferences and took part in them at an earlier age, preferring [[Leather subculture|leather]], [[anal sex]], [[rimming]], [[dildo]]s and special equipment or uniform scenes. In contrast, straight men preferred verbal humiliation, mask and blindfolds, [[Gag (BDSM)|gags]], [[Latex and PVC fetishism|rubber/latex]] outfits, [[caning]], [[vaginal sex]], [[straitjacket]]s, and [[cross-dressing]] among other activities. From the questionnaire, researchers were able to identify four separate sexual themes: [[Hypermasculinity|hyper-masculinity]], giving and receiving pain, physical restriction (i.e. bondage), and psychological humiliation. Gay men preferred activities that tended towards hyper-masculinity while straight men showed greater preference for humiliation, significantly higher [[Domination (BDSM)|master]]/[[Femdom|madame-slave]] role play at ≈84%. Though there were not enough female respondents to draw a similar conclusion with, the fact that there is a difference in gay and straight men suggests strongly that S/M (and BDSM in general) can not be considered a homogenous phenomenon. As Nordling et al. (2006) puts it, "People who identify as sadomasochists mean different things by these identifications." (54)<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Nordling | first1 = N. | last2 = Sandnabba | first2 = N. K. | last3 = Santtila | first3 = P. | last4 = Alison | first4 = L. | year = 2006 | title = Differences and similarities between gay and straight individuals involved in the sadomasochistic subculture | journal = Journal of Homosexuality | volume = 50 | issue = #2–3| pages = 41–57 | doi=10.1300/j082v50n02_03| pmid = 16803758 | s2cid = 25370996 }}</ref>