Mysophilia

Mysophilia refers to a sexual preference for strong body odors that are often perceived by others as unpleasant or “rancid.” Unlike a general scent fetish or olfactophilia, mysophilia focuses mainly on human bodily emissions and the smell of bodily secretions. The term is used with varying degrees of precision and is not defined uniformly across sources.

As with any fetish preference, consent, hygiene, and respect for the people involved are essential. Practices involving bodily secretions or worn underwear can carry a risk of infection, so contact, exchange, or use should be intentional, clean, and consensual. Reports about vending machines selling worn underwear are often treated as an urban legend and are not historically verified.