How Many Of Us Are There. Really?

[Valentine]

Keep in mind that even if only 1% of the population is AB/DL, that would mean over 3,000,000 people in the USA. So even if it is less than 1%, there are still LOTS of us out there.

But I do agree that the poll was less than scientific.

Except that it is 1% of people that participate in discussion groups about fetishes, not the general population.

The scientists monitored activity in discussion groups on the internet that have up to 150,000 members dedicated to fetishes, although the number of people surveyed was probably no more than 5,000.

So without knowing what percentage of the population visits those sites, the numbers don't mean much.

[diapers_ds1]

i agree with walla... im guessing about 1% of total population...maybe as much as 5% ....but hey...whats so bad with 60-300 million of us? not much....just that there could be more..... who knows really, but 5% of earth aint too bad a number, neither is 1%.

[Babybrian19]

I think some people here are being way to, I don't know, optimistic? 5% of the total population into AB/DL? I find that very hard to believe. When you say 'adult baby clothes' ... Most people will respond with 'you mean clothes for babies that are adult styles?' ... Or 'adult baby sitter' ... Usually the typical response is 'an adult who can babysit your kids? Sure I'd be glad to.' ... And the classic 'adult baby' ... Usually gets a whole hardy WTF??? ... I might believe that 5% of the total population knows what being an AB/DL or infantilism is. But trust me, less than 1% practices AB/DL type of stuff. I'm also inclined to believe most people who first hear about adult babies thinks it is quite disgusting and should seek help. Atleast that's what I get from the large majority of responses on yahoo answers..........Now obviously all of this is just my opinion but I think it's a good one.

[Chibiusa255]

If i had to guess, I would guess that we're somewhat below %1 of the population. I'd say it's somewhere between 0.5% and 0.1%. Even if we're 1 in 1000 that makes a whole lot of us out there. I don't have anything to really base this on, though, and it really might be a little high. No matter what the percetage is there's no doubt there's quite a few of us.

[nappyloon]

If someone shoved a survey into my hand and asked all manner of very private questions, I know that there is no way that I would put Nappy/Diaper lover down as a fetish as you never know where the survey will end up!

And with most "Surveys" these days it is used as a tool to find out who wants what so that someone can sell them some more, great if you have no secret fetish and dont give a stuff!

so I dont think any survey can really be that honest !

[Pepper Porcupine]

I'd say that around 15,000 practicing AB/DLs is a pretty good, conservative estimate, I mean, there are 10,000 registered users of this board itself and although I'm guessing that most are alt names there's probably a good amount of lurkers to offest that, and that's not even including the AB/DLs who never go to this site. So yeah, 15,000-20,000 is probably a good estimate of active AB/DLs... Hmmm, I just thought of an interesting statistic:

Since I'd guess that the avarage cost of one box of diapers per month for a year would be about $500-$750USD. I'd estimate that if there are 20,000 active AB/DLs then the diaper industry makes around $10,000,000-$15,000,000USD gross profit from our sexual fetish per year. Let's see, if net profit - employee paychecks = only half of the more conservative figure - $5 Mil USD - then this sexual fetish keeps around 100 workers in the diaper industry employed on a good salery of $50,000 per year, and possibly even in diapers. Don't you love our capitalist economy?

[Sunshine2585]

I'd say that around 15,000 practicing AB/DLs in America is a pretty good, conservative estimate, I mean, there are 10,000 registered users of this board itself and although I'm guessing that most are alt names there's probably a good amount of lurkers to offest that, and that's not even including the AB/DLs who never go to this site. So yeah, 15,000-20,000 is probably a good estimate of active AB/DLs... Hmmm, I just thought of an interesting statistic:

Um, there are people from other countries on this forum too. And there are about 8,000 something registered members of this site. It gives the exact number at the bottom of the main page.

[Pepper Porcupine]

Um, there are people from other countries on this forum too. And there are about 8,000 something registered members of this site. It gives the exact number at the bottom of the main page.

I understand that and I wasn't trying to be a microchasm, but I think that about 15,000-20,000 active AB/DLs is still a good estimate, including every country. If I said "America" it was by accident, I guess it would be more accurate to say I was basing my estimate off the number of diaper lovers registered to this site, how many other people were probably lurkers, and what I believe the likely number of AB/DLs who don't ever go to this site is. And I'd guess that it's around 15,000-20,000, including people in countries other than America.

[i changed the original post so that it dosn't say "in America" anymore.]

[AutieAB]

You can't really quantify the unquantifiable. When you're looking at groups of the population who number below one percent (as we almost certainly do) it's almost impossible to be accurate with surveys and such, especially because you'd be asking a question which virtually all of the population wouldn't understand.

Ordinary 'guy with a clipboard' surveys just won't work. It's not like asking people if they own a cat or like Ford cars - if you ask people whether or not they wear diapers for pleasure you're going to get laughed at by most people and probably slapped by a few too. You just can't get good results that way. I ain't no research scientist but I'm sure there must be a 'correct' way of measuring very small groups of the population and that would be the way to go but of course there will always be doubts.

TBH, I think the answer is simply that we're a "very very small group" and I'm happy not knowing the definitive answer because I think what can't be measured accurately isn't worth considering as fact.

[Valentine]

Here's something more interesting about then number of AB/DLs.

8,000 members, but only about 1/3 of the world population speaks English, so that makes 24,000. Only about 1/6 of the world has internet access, so that makes 144,000. 40% of the population isn't allowed to on this site, now some of those are too young, but we can add another 50,000 or so, giving us 200,000. Now, only some of the people online come here, figure half, so that would give us 400,000 AB/DLs or .007%, or about 1 in 15,000, or about 20,000 in the US.

[lynniehyde]

Here's something more interesting about then number of AB/DLs.

8,000 members, but only about 1/3 of the world population speaks English, so that makes 24,000. Only about 1/6 of the world has internet access, so that makes 144,000. 40% of the population isn't allowed to on this site, now some of those are too young, but we can add another 50,000 or so, giving us 200,000. Now, only some of the people online come here, figure half, so that would give us 400,000 AB/DLs or .007%, or about 1 in 15,000, or about 20,000 in the US.

It's great to see that all that support for the "New Math", back in the day, was not in vain. Seems to me, y'all done a good bit of "woodsheddin" on this. Keep it up!

Cuddles,

--heidilynn

[lynniehyde]

Not that familiar with McLuhan, but I am a big fan of HAiR!

Not off-topic, just answering a question.

Marshall Mcluhan, an esteemed anthropologist, did a study of African culture and found that tribal customs were not unlike those of modern man, though much more advanced in many ways. Jerry Ragni and James Rado (The authors of "HAiR") took that idea and applied it to the youth movements in America, back in the late 60's and developed it into a smash Broadway hit. With the help of Galt McDermott, the musical score launched four, Number 1 pop hits back in the late sixties, early seventies. "Good Morning Starshine" (Oliver), "Aquarius-The Flesh Failures" (Fifth Dimension), "HAiR" (The Cowsills), "Easy To Be Hard" (Three Dog Night). A feat unmatched by any Broadway musical before or since. It was quite the rage in it's time. And it still has resonance in today's society. A brilliant piece of work. I'm proud that I was able to be a part of it.

Cuddles,

--heidilynn