Ephebophilia

Ephebophilia is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19.^[1] The term was originally used in the late 19th to mid-20th century.^[1] It is one of a number of sexual preferences across age groups subsumed under the technical term chronophilia. Ephebophilia strictly denotes the preference for mid-to-late adolescent sexual partners, not the mere presence of some level of sexual attraction.^[1] It is not a psychiatric diagnosis.^[2]

In research environments, specific terms are used for chronophilias: for instance, ephebophilia to refer to the sexual preference for mid-to-late adolescents, hebephilia to refer to the sexual preference for earlier pubescent individuals, and pedophilia to refer to the primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children.^[1][2]