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Some 2,000 people are known to have a sexual interest in toy balloons. This series of pages discusses various facets of this interest. The author of these pages possesses such an interest in balloons, and the information contained herein is based on discussions conducted over several years with other individuals who also share the interest. However, no formal surveys have been conducted by the author.
Although some reference will be made to psychological theories on fetishism, the author is not a psychologist. Some evaluations of this interest by professional psychologists have appeared on the internet from time to time, but the explanations proffered often lack plausibility. The majority of the theories put forward in this document are based on the experiences, feelings and beliefs of those who are stimulated by balloons.
These pages are primarily intended to make individuals who have a sexual interest in balloons somewhat more comfortable with their situation. A secondary aim is to provide a reasonably objective discussion of the interest to attempt to dispel the false conclusions that are often drawn in the wider community concerning this condition.
Is the sexual interest in balloons a fetish? The term ‘fetish’ is not defined consistently throughout the literature. Campion defines it as ‘the use of onliving objects to obtain erotic arousal’, and goes on to state that ‘the object must be used repeatedly, and it must be the exclusive or preferred method of achieving sexual excitement’. Other definitions are broader, and do not include the stipulation that the object must be the preferred method of achieving arousal; eg, the American Heritage Dictionary includes this simpler definition: ‘something, such as a material object or an often nonsexual part of the body, that arouses or gratifies sexual desire’. The distinction is whether the object needs to be the ‘exclusive or preferred method of achieving sexual excitement’ before true fetishism is involved. This distinction is important, since a significant proportion (and probably the majority) of people known to have a sexual interest in balloons have an otherwise normal sex life: balloons are often used to enhance the sexual experience with one’s partner (similarly to the use of attractive clothing or ‘sex toys’), or in between encounters with one’s partner. Few people appear to prefer balloons alone, although personal circumstances sometimes dictate that no other option is available. For this reason, it is not possible to describe all people with a sexual interest in balloons (or any other inanimate object) as having a true fetish, under Campion’s definition (although some might qualify). However, under the broader definition, the term would be quite valid. Accordingly, it is not possible to unambiguously classify such people as fetishists or not; this difficulty suggests that the term ‘fetish’ might be best avoided. (For further details of the activities of those with a sexual interest in balloons, see What It Involves).
A further reason for avoiding the term ‘fetish’ is that it possesses negative connotations in many minds, seeming to suggest antisocial, evil or otherwise ‘dirty’ behaviour. Many people with a sexual interest in balloons are sensitive to these connotations, and therefore prefer not to think of their interest as a fetish. Since this group is the primary audience for this document, and because of the ambiguity of the term, this interest will generally not be referred to as a fetish in the remainder of this document.
A related term is ‘paraphilia’, which has been defined as ‘a group of sexual perversions in which sexual arousal is persistently achieved by simulated or real suffering, by the use of nonhuman objects, or from a nonconsenting partner’ [Campion: ‘Paraphilia’]. Accordingly, all forms of fetishism (however defined) are paraphilias, and the regular use of balloons to obtain sexual arousal would likewise qualify as a paraphilia.
For the sake of brevity, it will be found useful to adopt a term for describing the sexual interest in balloons. One candidate is ‘balloonphilia’; another is ‘globophilia’ (if ‘globo’ be admitted as a Latin term for ‘balloon’). However, these words may also carry negative connotations by analogy with terms such as ‘pedophilia’, even though the Greek word ‘philia’ literally means ‘liking’ or ‘friendship’. A less emotive term is preferable: accordingly, the word ‘balloonism’ will be used to refer to the sexual interest in balloons in the remainder of this document.
The structure of this document is as follows:
- Group Demographics: a general description of the types of people known to have an interest in balloons, including coincidence with other paraphilias.
- What It Involves: balloons (the object of the interest), solo activity, partnered activity, watching, public behaviour.
- Theories: origins, explanations, attitudes and treatment.
- Further Information: where to find additional information and resources on the internet, and References cited in this document.
Forward to Group Demographics