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Armpit fetishism (also known as maschalagnia) is a partialism in which an individual is sexually attracted to armpits - something which may lead to axillism, or armpit intercourse (sexual activity with one or both armpits).
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Smell
The natural body smell is a powerful force in sexual attraction, and can be focused by the strong pungent odor of the armpit: Alex Comfort considered that for a woman to shave her armpits was “simply ignorant vandalism”, obliterating a powerful sexual tool, and praised the French for greater sexual awareness than American deodorant culture in this regard.
A woman's armpits, armpit hair, and secretions can be seen as essential components of her femininity, whether this is positively or negatively valued. Havelock Ellis found evidence that (in a non-sexual context) smelling one's own armpit could act as a temporary energy boost.
Fetish
Those who have a mild fetish for armpits often enjoy kissing, tasting, tickling and smelling their partner's armpits during sexual foreplay, perhaps asking partners not to shower or wash their armpits nor wear deodorant for a period of hours.
The symbolic equation of armpit and vagina may underpin the fetish, as also the odor. Freud however saw such fetishism as becoming problematic only when such preparatory acts substituted totally for intercourse as a final goal.
Axillism
Stressing the importance in axillism of the (unlubricated) friction being confined to the penile shaft, Alex Comfort saw armpit intercourse as "Not an outstandingly rewarding trick but worth trying if you like the idea".
Problems may, however, arise in a relationship when penis to armpit contact (axillism) becomes an exclusive sexual necessity for the man – something which can produce long-term sexual desire disorder in a couple.