Milk fetishism, sometimes known as lactophilia (properly galactophilia), is a paraphilia in which sexual pleasure is derived from human milk or human lactation.

Men and/or women who engage in adult breastfeeding are said to be in an adult nursing relationship (ANR). Such a relationship can include suckling without lactation, although without milk, there seems to be fewer manifistations of fetish-like behavoir. There are two main aspects to milk fetishism: the psychological and the sexual.

Not much formal reseach has been done as to all the implications of the desire of some grown men to suckle, but many speak of a strong need, even compulsion, to breastfeed. Some men associate this with not being breastfed as infants, although some attribute the desire to being nursed for several years into toddlerhood. Women, as well, sometimes refer to having a strong desire to be suckled, either after attempting to wean infants, or before even having children. Often, men will stumble upon an ANR when they seek to relieve a partner of engorgement. The behavoir often continues after one or either partner speaks of being sexually aroused to an extent previously unknown, or feeling very contented and satisfied. Others take drugs and herbs, perform "manual manipulation," or employ breast pumps in order to induce lactation for the express purpose of beginning an ANR.

Galactophilia is not commonly depicted in pornography, however, there is a small but fervent community forming for this express purpose. In addition to sexual expression, several sites provide communities for persons in ANRs to interact, and even meet. Among the more notable sites are www.spicytalk.com, the CANN Society (a Yahoo! group), and www.eroticlactation.com. People often seek these groups and sites due to feeling odd, or even guilty, because of their behavoir.

As with most fetishes, there are negative aspects of this paraphilia, some of which are because of perception, and others because of real-life detriment. Most fetishes can become addictive in nature, and in the desire to relieve the desire, persons can put themselves and their partners in dangerous situations (ie - seeking a partner online, demanding performance from a partner inordinately). In addition, various shades of shame are associated with the practice: males may feel that they are in an inferior, submissive role to the women from which they suckle; some couples who are also parents to a nursing child may feel that the practice brings harm to the child, even denying the child needed nurtrition; also, as the practice is almost always hidden, couples may feel perverted and "twisted." Some women even report feeling aroused, even to the point of orgasm, while nursing a child. Most medical professionals agree that any phsyical harm to a nursing baby is minimal, as a woman's body is designed to produce milk on demand. However, nursing in the final weeks of pregnancy can induce premature labor, as during 'let down,' a woman produces the hormone oxytocin, the hormone also responsible for uterus contractions.

See also:

• Milkmaid