Fetishistic Disorder 701
Specifiers
Although individuals with fetishistic disord er may report intens e and recurrent sexual
arousal to inanimate objects or a specific body part, it is not unusual for non–mutually ex-
clusive combinations of fetishes  to occur. Thus, an individual may have fetishistic disorder
associated with an inanimate object (e.g., fe male undergarments) or an exclusive focus on
an intensely eroticized body part (e.g., feet, ha ir), or their fetishisti c interest may meet cri-
teria for various combinations of these specifiers (e.g., socks, shoes and feet).
Diagnostic Features
The paraphilic focus of fetishistic disorder involves the persistent and repetitive use of or de-
pendence on nonliving objects or a highly specif ic focus on a (typically nongenital) body part
as primary elements associated with sexual arous al (Criterion A). A diagnosis of fetishistic dis-
order must include clinically significant pers onal distress or psycho social role impairment
(Criterion B). Common fetish objects include female undergarments, male or female footwear,
rubber articles, leather cl othing, or other wearing apparel. Hi ghly eroticized body parts asso-
ciated with fetishistic disorder include feet, toes, and hair. It is not uncommon for sexualized
fetishes to include both inanimate objects and bo dy parts (e.g., dirty socks and feet), and for
this reason the definition of feti shistic disorder now re-incorporates partialism (i.e., an exclusive
focus on a body part) into its boundaries. Part ialism, previously considered a paraphilia not
otherwise specified disorder, ha d historically been subsumed in fetishism prior to DSM-III.
Many individuals who self-identify as fetish ist practitioners do not necessarily report