Portrayal of Paraphilia in History

Abstract

Normalcy and aberrance in sexual behaviour, is greatly influenced by
societal norms and culture of a time and our perception of paraphilia is
shaped by them. These conditions have transcended eras from Greek
and Roman civilizations to modern medicine, finding mentions in the
Bible, the Kamasutra, as well as in the 18th and 19th century works.
With the efforts of Krafft Ebing and co-workers, paraphilia and
paraphilic disorders now occupy an important niche in medicine.
Treatment modalities have also evolved greatly- from radical means to
medication and psychotherapy. Therefore our understanding of
paraphilia is incomplete without delving into its history.