Sidney McGill - HEALTHY SEX 101THE IDEA of genital piercing can be fascinating or repulsive. In spite of how you may feel, genital piercing is becoming popular for men and women. While a glance can establish whether someone you know has a nose ring or pierced eyebrow, you would need X-ray vision or possess an unobtrusive metal detector to discover if she or he has a pierced vagina or penis.
HISTORY OF PIERCING
The exact history of the origin of genital piercing is not known, but it has been confirmed among a few tribes of Borneo, who implant bones in the head of the penis. There is also evidence of men who had penis implants adorned with jewellery in the Kama Sutra the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text that establishes the rules of love and sensuality.
While piercing is a general custom in many countries, genital piercing is largely a recent and Western phenomenon it is not a rediscovery of an ancient rite of passage. We do know that in the 1800s some men and women in Europe were having their genitals pierced.
One common type was the practice of penis piercing called the 'Prince Albert' named after Queen Victoria's husband. Rumour has it that Albert had his penis pierced with a ring so that he could manipulate his privates to prevent an unseenly bulge when he wore tight trousers. The practice became more common in Europe and America after World War II and became fashionable during the 1970s by the punk movement and among some gay and sado-masochistic sub-cultures. Thereafter the phenomenon moved out into mainstream, First World societies.
PIERCING TYPES AND RISKS
For women the vertical clitoral hood is by far the most popular.
"It is easy to get, quick to heal, and fun to have there," says one popular piercing expert.
The piercing is done through the tissue above the clitoris that can stimulate the clitoris during sex. A variation on the theme is piercing the clitoral hood, deep behind the clitoris. The clitoris itself is usually too small to be pierced, and piercing the inner and outer labia are also dependent on the woman having enough loose skin in the area.
Men on the other hand have a wider selection of piercing areas to choose from. The 'Prince Albert' in which a ring is vertically inserted through the urethra and out the bottom of the glans is one type. Although this is fairly common for men, it can make urinating standing up a fairly messy business.
Other areas that men may choose to insert rings are between the base of the scrotum and the anus and through the loose skin on the underside of the penis.
The most common risk involved is infection that, if allowed to spread, could cause serious health problems such as sterility and potential life-threatening conditions.
HIV/AIDS and other STIs are serious risks to consider if one is unsure if the equipment is being sterilised at the studio. Most of the problems associated with genital piercing are preventable if proper aftercare and good hygiene are practised.
A vertical clitoral hood or Prince Albert will take four to six weeks to heal. A pierced navel on the other hand can take up to 12 months and the risks of complication are higher! Most medical practitioners do not, however, endorse genital piercings because they consider them to be self-inflicted injuries with potentially serious risks associated.
If you have had a genital piercing done, please let 'Sex 101' know about the benefits. Write us at 'yourhealth@gleanerjm.com'.
Dr. Sidney McGill is a Marriage and Family Therapist and Executive Director of the Family Counselling Centre of Jamaica, St. Ann.
