The fetish that has an intense, and exclusive sexual fixation on a non-genital body part is called partialism. The sexual fixation or focus falls on some part of the partner’s body, such as the hands, legs, feet, breasts, buttocks, or hair.

The fixation goes well beyond just being attracted to someones shape of body or size of breasts, this fetish is considered partialism only when the anatomy of interest has equal or greater erotic attraction for the partialist as do the genitals. For example climaxing just by touching a woman’s knees.

Any body part can be the object of someone’s partialism. Feet and toes are apparently the most common non-sexual area of the body that people find most sexually gratifying.

So partialism is about body parts?

Partialists can be very specific and the aspects, dimensions and features are critical to the individuals. They are usually interested in the size of the feet, of the hands, or the breasts; the shapes like flat footed, peer shaped breasts; or non-visual sensory features as the touch or smell. And – perhaps most importantly – the type of interaction with the body part.

Partialism is also not dependent on sexual orientation, both homosexual and heterosexual relationships can contain aspects of it as a unique and personal experience for different individuals.