Masochism

Pleasure derived from being physically or psychologically abused, whether inflicted by oneself or by others. Masochism includes sexual masochism. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.

Yes. Masochism is also referred to as Masochisms, Sexual Masochism, Masochism, Sexual, Masochisms, Sexual in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.

Masochism falls under the broader medical category "Psychiatry and Psychology" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: F03.657.500). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.

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