Level of awareness of BDSM on attitudes towards BDSM practitioners among a Malaysian population

This study aims to examine the effect of the level of awareness about BDSM on the attitudes towards BDSM practitioners in a conservative country such as Malaysia. A total of 124 Malaysian participants were recruited. Over 5 weeks, the experimental group underwent educational interventions, whereas the control group received neutral, unrelated information. The Attitudes about Sadomasochism Scale was used to record responses from both groups before and after the experiment. Results indicated that the experimental group showed a greater reduction in stigmatizing attitudes towards BDSM practitioners after the intervention period, demonstrating that the level of awareness of BDSM significantly affects participants' stigmatizing attitudes towards BDSM practitioners. In conclusion, educational interventions might be essential to reduce stigmatizing attitudes.