Some people eroticize about intimate examinations as part of a medical fetish, and as such are a common service offered by professional dominants.

An intimate examination can form part of a scene in medical play where the nurse or doctor inflicts one or more embarrassing and humiliating quasi-medical procedures on the patient. Often frozen or heated objects are introduced to the patient's body to simulate the uncomfortable sensations that can occur during a real examination. Examinations may include an examination and intrusion of the anus, urethra, or vagina, as well as handling and twisting of the penis, testicles, clitoris, and nipples. Quite often, strap on play is also incorporated, as this can heighten the intimacy, and also the sensations of the patient. This may be a prelude to masturbation or administration of an enema. Before examination, the patient can be placed in physical restraints and gagged, and wear some form of embarrassing clothing.

Medical fetishism refers to a number of sexual fetishes involving objects, practices, environments, and situations of a medical or clinical nature. In sexual roleplay a hospital or medical scene involves the sex partners assuming the roles of doctors, nurses, surgeons and patients to act out specific or general medical fetishes. Medical fantasy is a genre in pornography, though the fantasy may not necessarily involve pornography or sexual activity.

Medical fetishism may involve sexual attraction to respiratory therapy involving oxygen via nasal cannula or any sort of masks, medical practitioners, medical uniforms, hospital gowns, anaesthesia, intimate examinations (such as rectal examination, gynecological examination, urological examination, andrological examination, rectal temperature-taking), catheterization, diapering, enemas, injections, insertion (such as suppository insertion, menstrual-cup insertion, and prostatic massage), medical devices (such as orthopedic casts and orthopedic braces; see also "Abasiophilia"), dental objects (such as dental braces, retainers, and headgear), medical restraints, and medical gags.

Abasiophilia plays a prominent role in the Michael Connelly novel "The Scarecrow", in which a serial killer is motivated by abasiophilia.

Abasiophilia is a psychosexual attraction to people with impaired mobility, especially those who use orthopaedic appliances such as leg braces, orthopedic casts, or wheelchairs. The term abasiophilia was first used by John Money of the Johns Hopkins University in a paper on paraphilias in 1990.