Genital piercing is a form of
body piercing that involves piercing a part of the
genitalia
A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of
jewellery
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...
. Nevertheless, the term may also be used ''
pars pro toto
''Pars pro toto'' (, ), , is a figure of speech where the name of a ''portion'' of an object, place, or concept is used or taken to represent its entirety. It is distinct from a merism, which is a reference to a whole by an enumeration of parts; ...
'' to indicate all body piercings in the area of
anus,
perineum
The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis (pubic arch) and the coccyx (tail bone), includi ...
, genitals and
mons pubis
In human anatomy, and in mammals in general, the ''mons pubis'' or pubic mound (also known simply as the mons, and known specifically in females as the ''mons Venus'' or ''mons veneris'') is a rounded mass of fatty tissue found over the pubic sym ...
, including piercings such as
anal
Anal may refer to:
Related to the anus
*Related to the anus of animals:
** Anal fin, in fish anatomy
** Anal vein, in insect anatomy
** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy
*Related to the human anus:
** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving s ...
,
guiche, and
pubic
In vertebrates, the pubic region ( la, pubis) is the most forward-facing (ventral and anterior) of the three main regions making up the coxal bone. The left and right pubic regions are each made up of three sections, a superior ramus, inferior r ...
that do not involve perforation of genitalia. Genital piercings can be done regardless of sex, with various forms of piercings available. The main motive is beautification and individualization; in addition, some piercings enhance sexual pleasure by increasing stimulation.
Pre-modern genital piercings is most culturally widespread in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
, where it has been part of traditional practice since ancient times. Records of genital piercing are found in the ''
Kama Sutra
The ''Kama Sutra'' (; sa, कामसूत्र, , ; ) is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kama Sutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly ...
''.
History
The traditional prehistoric and historic practice of genital piercing is most culturally widespread in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
(particularly in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, and
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
), where the insertion of various kinds of implants into the penis were common until modern times, in addition to other ancient
body modification
Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many so ...
s like
tattooing
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing p ...
,
supercision or
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...
,
pearling,
ear piercing
An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings have been worn by people in different civilizations ...
s and
ear plugs
An earplug is a device that is inserted in the ear canal to protect the user's ears from loud noises, intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind. Since they reduce the sound volume, earplugs are often used to help prevent hearing ...
, gold teeth fillings,
teeth filing
Human tooth sharpening is the practice of manually sharpening the teeth, usually the front incisors. Filed teeth are customary in various cultures. Many remojadas figurines found in part of Mexico have filed teeth and it is believed to have be ...
,
teeth blackening
Teeth blackening or teeth lacquering is a custom of dyeing one's teeth black. It was most predominantly practiced in Southeast Asian and Oceanic cultures, particularly among Austronesian, Austroasiatic, and Kra–Dai-speaking peoples. It was al ...
, and
artificial cranial deformation
Artificial cranial deformation or modification, head flattening, or head binding is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is deformed intentionally. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying ...
. The primary purpose of such inserts were to enhance pleasure.
The practice also spread to neighboring regions, where scattered references to genital piercings exist, like the
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
n ''
apadravya
The apadravya, like the ampallang, is a piercing that passes through the glans. While the ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and pa ...
'', a male genital piercing that passes vertically through the
glans
The glans (, plural "glandes" ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals.
Structure
The exterior structure ...
(unlike most Southeast Asian piercings which are inserted horizontally), in the ''
Kama Sutra
The ''Kama Sutra'' (; sa, कामसूत्र, , ; ) is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kama Sutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly ...
'' (2nd century AD). Other smaller traditions of genital piercings also arose independently in other cultures (like in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
).
In the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, penile piercings were widely documented by European explorers among the
Visayan people
Visayans ( Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...
.
Visayan penile piercings consists of a rod or bar (usually made from gold, brass, tin, or ivory; and often ornamented) called the ''tugbuk'' or ''tudruk'' that is inserted horizontally through the glans of the penis. Its ends are attached to the ''sakra'' (also transcribed as ''sacra'' or ''sagra''), a wheel or half-ring (made from the same material as the ''tugbuk'') that goes around the head of the penis, similar to a
cock ring
A cock ring or cockring (also called a C ring, erection ring, penis ring, shaft ring, tension ring, or Arab strap) is a ring worn around the penis, usually at the base. The primary purpose of wearing a cock ring is to restrict the flow of ...
. The ''sakra'' comes in many variants, but is usually ornamented with blunt knobs around the circumference. The ends of the ''tugbuk'' are then secured to the ''sakra'' with plugs (also often ornamented). The Italian explorer
Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta (; – c. 1531) was an Venetian scholar and explorer. He joined the expedition to the Spice Islands led by explorer Ferdinand Magellan under the flag of the emperor Charles V and after Magellan's death in the Philippine Islands, ...
who accompanied
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...
in the
first circumnavigation of the globe describes the practice as such:
The anonymously-written ''
Boxer Codex
The ''Boxer Codex'' is a late sixteenth century Spanish manuscript that was produced in the Philippines. The document contains seventy-five colored illustrations of the peoples of China, the Philippines, Java, the Moluccas, the Ladrones, and Sia ...
'' (c.1590s) also has a similar description:
These piercings were done to boys at an early age. They were meant to enhance sensation and pleasure during sexual activity for both men and women. Notably, Pigafetta describes that it was the women who controlled how the penis with the ''sakra'' is inserted. Men without penile piercings were reported to be derided by women as ''asog'' ("impotent" or "effeminate"). The practice was heavily suppressed by the Spanish clergy and eventually lost during the
Spanish colonial period of the Philippines
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, as it was considered by the Spanish clergy to be a "sin of the flesh."
The ''
ampallang
The palang ( iba, crossbar), or ampallang is a male genital piercing that penetrates horizontally through the entire glans of the penis.
History
Penis piercings of proto-Malay origin predated European contact with tribes in (among others) t ...
'', a similar piercing (which also passes horizontally through the glans, but differs in that it is not attached to a ring), is found in different tribes throughout
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
and
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
on the island of Borneo. Genital piercings became first introduced in western countries by ethnographic report, done by explorers such as in the 19th century. The Dutch explorer
Anton Willem Nieuwenhuis
__NOTOC__
Anton Willem Nieuwenhuis (22 May 1864 – 21 September 1953) was a Dutch explorer and physician who travelled extensively in central Borneo in the 1890s, recording valuable ethnographic information about the Dayak people and making b ...
described in his ethnographic record ''In Centraal Borneo: reis van Pontianak naar Samarinda'' – documenting his travel through Borneo in 1897 – the procedure of an ampallang piercing:
Piercing the genitals became a short-lived trend at the end of the 19th century, in particular for upper classes of the society: "It was during the Victorian era that the practice of body piercing in the Western world reemerged. Many men and women of the Victorian royalty chose to receive nipple and genital piercings.″
However, the popularity diminished again, with genital piercings becoming rather uncommon in the western world until the second half of the 20th century. In the 1970s, they were introduced to the emerging body modification community by the early piercings pioneers like
Jim Ward and
Doug Malloy
Richard Simonton (1915–1979), also known under the pseudonym Doug Malloy, was a Hollywood businessman and entrepreneur, known for his involvement in the Hollywood community, his rescue of the steamboat ''Delta Queen'', his work in preserving the ...
, many of them associated with the legendary piercing studio
The Gauntlet in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. With the advent of
Piercing Fans International Quarterly in 1977, information about genital piercings became available to a wider community. Genital piercings were later sported by the
modern primitive
Modern primitives or urban primitives are people in developed, or modern nations who engage in body modification rituals and practices inspired by the ceremonies, rites of passage, or bodily ornamentation in what they consider traditional cultu ...
s movement that developed during the 1980s in the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
. Still, only until the 21st century, genital piercing was confined to a body modification subculture.
Just like
nipple piercings, genital piercings became increasingly more popular and part of mainstream culture in the second decade of the 21st century, with ″nice and normal″ people endorsing them. Many celebrities such as
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
,
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...
,
Pete Doherty,
Janet Jackson,
Lenny Kravitz,
Katarina Waters
Katarina Leigh Waters (born 10 November 1980) is a German-born English American professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling under the ring names Katarina or Winter and for her time in WWE under the rin ...
, or
Pete Wentz
Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician best known as the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy since 2001. Before Fall Out Boy, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lea ...
,
stated that they had or planned to have genital piercings. Genital piercings nowadays have a growing demand, especially in a young adult, college-aged population.
With regard to (female) genital piercings, Marilyn W. Edmunds, adjunct clinical professor at the
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
, stated, "Women with genital piercings are no longer on the social fringe or part of the 'punk' culture who are experimenting with behaviors that are 'socially provocative.' Over the past 30 years, genital piercing has become mainstream, and women engage in it for a variety of reasons."
However, according to Chelsea Bunz, professional piercer from
UK, the clearly existing rise in popularity might as well be an effect of more people openly talking about their genital piercings: "I think genital piercing has always been popular – it's just discussed more openly these days, which makes it increasingly acceptable to the mainstream. People from all classes and professions have them (...)."
Motives
Like body piercings at large, genital piercings are often done for aesthetic reasons and as an expression of personal style. In addition, some (but not all) types of genital piercing increase sensitivity and provide additional stimulation during sexual intercourse or stimulation. According to an
Association of Professional Piercers
The Association of Professional Piercers is the oldest and longest running organization for professional piercing.
History
The Association of Professional Piercers was founded in the 1994 by Michaela Grey and colleagues. The first members were ...
expert report by
Elayne Angel
Elayne Angel (born Elayne Steinberg, August 6, 1960) is an American professional body piercer.
Early life and education
Angel attended Canoga Park High School and Chatsworth High School. In 1982, she earned an associate degree in Sign Langua ...
, body piercing pioneer, former member of The Gauntlet and inventor of several genital piercings such as the
fourchette and the
lorum, individual motives and preferences are quite diverse:
Aesthetic reasons
Motivation can be restricted purely to aesthetic taste. Like all other types of body piercing, genital piercings are decorative, appealing to the people wearing them. Violet Fenn of ''Metro'' stated, "For me personally, it was sheer aesthetics – I just like how it looks. Even if I was the only person who ever saw my piercing, I’d like it in the same way that I like having painted toenails – something pretty for my own personal pleasure.″
Culture and life style
Traditional cultures
In many traditional cultures, these piercings are done as a
rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
during adolescence and, symbolically and literally, mark the admittance to the adult world and serve as a marker of cultural identity. Similar to religiously motivated
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...
, it may be regarded as a "purification of the flesh" and a common bodily sign to members of the same faith. These traditional meanings of modifying the body were revived in contemporary western society by the
modern primitive
Modern primitives or urban primitives are people in developed, or modern nations who engage in body modification rituals and practices inspired by the ceremonies, rites of passage, or bodily ornamentation in what they consider traditional cultu ...
. Inspired by ethnographic accounts of tribal practices, this subculture adopted genital piercings as a matter of
individuation
The principle of individuation, or ', describes the manner in which a thing is identified as distinct from other things.
The concept appears in numerous fields and is encountered in works of Leibniz, Carl Gustav Jung, Gunther Anders, Gilbert Sim ...
and spirituality.
Contemporary western society
For most people that seek genital piercings nowaday, a sense of uniqueness and non-conformism prevails.
In a 2015 study that evaluated a qualitative dataset of 484 self-reports and characteristics of men and women with genital piercings came to the conclusion that:
Enhanced pleasure and sensation
Additionally, genital piercings can enhance sexual pleasure during masturbation, foreplay and intercourse. While female genital piercings do this only to the women wearing them, male genital piercings can enhance stimulation for both the person wearing the jewelry and their partner by stimulating both the glans of the wearer and the
vaginal wall or the anus of the penetrated partner. Due to genital physiology, women seem to gain more sexual pleasure from both, their own as well as her partner's genital piercings.
For the sexual partner
This effect is in particular reported for piercings passing through the glans penis: the ampallang and apadravya piercing. Women of the
Dayak in
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
prefer men with an ampallang, claiming that intercourse without would be dull:
![Ampalang, for insertion through the penis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Ampalang%2C_for_insertion_through_the_penis._Wellcome_M0000038.jpg)
Paolo Mantegazza stated, "The Dayak women have a right to insist upon the ampallang and if the man does not consent they may seek separation. They say that the embrace without this contrivance is plain rice; with it is rice with salt."
On another account by the anthropologist
Tom Harrisson
Major Tom Harnett Harrisson, DSO OBE (26 September 1911 – 16 January 1976) was a British polymath. In the course of his life he was an ornithologist, explorer, journalist, broadcaster, soldier, guerrilla, ethnologist, museum curator, archae ...
, who spent much of his life in Borneo and interviewed natives about the traditional ampallang; he stated, "the function of this device is, superficially, to add to the sexual pleasure of the women by stimulating and extending the inner walls of the vagina. It is, in this, in my experience, decidedly successful."
For the pierced person
For men, piercings that stimulate the sensitive
urethra
The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra c ...
, either during masturbation or sexual intercourse, increase sensation.
Female genital piercings that are reported to enhance pleasure are the piercings that pass through or close to the clitoris, i.e. the clitoris piercing and the clitoral hood piercing.
In an empirical study at the
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May, 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. The first ...
, the authors reported a positive relationship between vertical clitoral hood piercings and desire, frequency of intercourse, and sexual arousal.
However, this might depend on many factors such as placement, jewelry shape, and the individual. The triangle piercing is known to be quite pleasurable by providing stimulation of the underside of the clitoral glans, an area that is usually not stimulated at all.
Potential health risks
Comparable to other piercings, improper hygiene during the piercings process carries the risk of transmitting blood borne diseases and during the healing process it might lead to infection.
Some physicians believe that male genital piercings increase the risk of
STD transmission by making safer sex barriers (condoms) less effective.
Most professional piercers and body art enthusiasts believe these risks are over-stated or nonexistent. In two surveys, 5%–18% of men with genital piercings reported unspecified "problems using condoms" though it is unclear how many of these men used condoms regularly.
There is no conclusive evidence that wearers of genital piercings are more likely to contract sexually transmitted infections.
Aftercare
The time to fully heal a genital piercing varies tremendously, depending on piercing site and individual characteristics: it can range from a week up to six months. Until fully healed, preparations should be made against possible causes of infection, such as proper cleaning on a daily basis. People with fresh piercings should abstain from sexual activity for the first few days and also then should use physical protection barriers such as condoms until the piercing is fully healed.
Legal considerations
Laws in other countries vary. In many
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an countries, minors are required to bring a signed consent form from or to be escorted by a legal guardian. Even in countries that have no laws regulating genital piercing in minors, many piercers refrain from doing them (since physiological development is not completed in minors). In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, it is prohibited to pierce the genitals of persons younger than 18 years.
Types of genital piercings
Male genital piercings
Possible piercing sites on the male genitalia include the glans, the skin of the penis shaft, the
scrotum
The scrotum or scrotal sac is an anatomical male reproductive structure located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. It is present in most terrestrial male mammals. The scrotum co ...
or the
perineum
The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis (pubic arch) and the coccyx (tail bone), includi ...
.
Glans penis
Piercings through the
glans of the penis
In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual p ...
include the
ampallang
The palang ( iba, crossbar), or ampallang is a male genital piercing that penetrates horizontally through the entire glans of the penis.
History
Penis piercings of proto-Malay origin predated European contact with tribes in (among others) t ...
, which passes horizontally, and the
apadravya
The apadravya, like the ampallang, is a piercing that passes through the glans. While the ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and pa ...
, that passes vertically through the glans. The
Prince Albert piercing
The Prince Albert (PA) is one of the most common male genital piercings.Gage, Simon; Richards, Lisa; Wilmot, Howard; and Boy George (2002). Queer', p. 159. Da Capo Press, The PA is "a ring-style piercing that extends along the underside of the ...
is situated on the ventral side (underside) of the penis immediately behind the glans, while the
reverse Prince Albert piercing passes through the dorsal (top) side of the glans. The
dydoe
A dydoe is a type of male genital body piercing that passes through the ridge of the glans on the head of the penis. They are often done in pairs. Less often, a "king's crown" is where several dydoes are placed around the head of the penis. The ...
pierces through the coronal rim of the glans. With the exception of the dydoe, all these piercings traditionally pass through the urethra. This is preferred because healing time and incidence of infection are reduced by the flow of sterile urine.
These piercings provide increased stimulation during intercourse to the male (who is carrying the piercing) as well as to the partner. Piercings through the head, or the glans, are the genital piercings with the best-documented historical evidence.
''The Point''
- An Approach to Genital Piercings Part 5
File:Ampallang cropped.jpg, Ampallang
The palang ( iba, crossbar), or ampallang is a male genital piercing that penetrates horizontally through the entire glans of the penis.
History
Penis piercings of proto-Malay origin predated European contact with tribes in (among others) t ...
File:Apadravya Genital Piercing.jpg, Apadravya
The apadravya, like the ampallang, is a piercing that passes through the glans. While the ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and pa ...
File:Prince Albert piercing with curved barbell.jpg, Prince Albert
File:Dydoe.jpg, Dydoe piercing
A dydoe is a type of male genital body piercing that passes through the ridge of the glans on the head of the penis. They are often done in pairs. Less often, a "king's crown" is where several dydoes are placed around the head of the penis. The ...
File:BCR Reverse PrinceAlbert.jpg, Reverse Prince Albert piercing
Skin of the penis shaft and scrotum
Foreskin piercing
Foreskin piercing is a piercing that passes through the foreskin of the penis. It is the male equivalent of a clitoral hood piercing in females.
It is a generally fast-healing piercing and involves a relatively simple procedure. The only true req ...
passes through the penile prepuce on the dorsal, ventral or lateral side. It is required that the male isn't circumcised. The frenum piercing
A frenum piercing is a type of body piercing located on the underside of the shaft of the penis. A series of parallel frenum piercings is known as a frenum ladder. A frenum ladder may be extended to include lorum piercings, hafada piercings and ...
passes through the penile frenum, a small skin bridge that connects the glans with the shaft skin. This anatomical part is also often missing in circumcised men. The hafada piercing
A hafada piercing is a surface piercing anywhere on the skin of the scrotum. This piercing does not penetrate deep into the scrotum, and due to the looseness and flexibility of the skin in that area, does not piercing migration, migrate or rejec ...
is situated on the skin of the scrotum. As an intermediate version between frenulum and hafada, the lorum piercing (''lo''w fren''um'') sits at the point where penis and scrotum connect. The Jacob's Ladder is a ladder from frenum to scrotum. The guiche piercing is a body piercing on the perineum. These piercings play a lesser role in adding stimulation and more or less fulfill only a decorative purpose.
File:Foreskin piercing2.jpg, Foreskin piercing
Foreskin piercing is a piercing that passes through the foreskin of the penis. It is the male equivalent of a clitoral hood piercing in females.
It is a generally fast-healing piercing and involves a relatively simple procedure. The only true req ...
File:Frenulumpiercing BCR 1.JPG, Frenum piercing
A frenum piercing is a type of body piercing located on the underside of the shaft of the penis. A series of parallel frenum piercings is known as a frenum ladder. A frenum ladder may be extended to include lorum piercings, hafada piercings and ...
File:Lorum piercing 2.jpg, Lorum piercing
File:Scrotum piercing.jpg, Hafada piercing
A hafada piercing is a surface piercing anywhere on the skin of the scrotum. This piercing does not penetrate deep into the scrotum, and due to the looseness and flexibility of the skin in that area, does not piercing migration, migrate or rejec ...
Female genital piercings
In female individuals as well, various anatomical parts can be suitable for piercings. These include the mons pubis
In human anatomy, and in mammals in general, the ''mons pubis'' or pubic mound (also known simply as the mons, and known specifically in females as the ''mons Venus'' or ''mons veneris'') is a rounded mass of fatty tissue found over the pubic sym ...
, the clitoral hood
In the female human body, the clitoral hood (also called preputium clitoridis and clitoral prepuce) is a fold of skin that surrounds and protects the glans of the clitoris; it also covers the external shaft of the clitoris, develops as part of th ...
, the (inner and outer) labia and the vulval vestibule (which is the area surrounding the vaginal opening).
Clitoris and clitoral hood
The glans of the clitoris itself can be pierced. Since this anatomical part is too small in many cases, this piercing is not very common. In contrast, the clitoral hood piercing
A clitoral hood piercing is a genital piercing through the clitoral hood surrounding the clitoris. There are two main types of hood piercing: the vertical clitoral hood piercing and the horizontal clitoral hood piercing. As the name indicates, t ...
is the most common genital piercing for female bodied individuals. It can be applied horizontally and vertically. The deep hood piercing
A clitoral hood piercing is a genital piercing through the clitoral hood surrounding the clitoris. There are two main types of hood piercing: the vertical clitoral hood piercing and the horizontal clitoral hood piercing. As the name indicates, t ...
is a variation of the clitoral hood piercing that pass deeper through the clitoral hood. The Isabella piercing
Isabella piercing is a female genital piercing. This extremely deep clitoral shaft piercing starts below the clitoris and just above the urethra, and then goes up through the clitoral shaft and exits at the top of the hood.
The Isabella piercing ...
passes vertically through the clitoral shaft and is rather complicated to pierce.
File:Pierced.JPG, Clitoris piercing
A clitoris piercing is a genital piercing placed directly through the head (glans) of the clitoris itself. It is a relatively uncommon piercing by choice because of the potential for nerve damage, and because women may find it too stimulating to a ...
File:Isabella piercing.JPG, Isabella piercing
Isabella piercing is a female genital piercing. This extremely deep clitoral shaft piercing starts below the clitoris and just above the urethra, and then goes up through the clitoral shaft and exits at the top of the hood.
The Isabella piercing ...
File:New vertical clitoral hood piercing.jpg, Vertical clitoral hood piercing
A clitoral hood piercing is a genital piercing through the clitoral hood surrounding the clitoris. There are two main types of hood piercing: the vertical clitoral hood piercing and the horizontal clitoral hood piercing. As the name indicates, t ...
(VCH)
File:Hood-piercing.jpg, Horizontal clitoral hood piercing
A clitoral hood piercing is a genital piercing through the clitoral hood surrounding the clitoris. There are two main types of hood piercing: the vertical clitoral hood piercing and the horizontal clitoral hood piercing. As the name indicates, t ...
(HCH)
File:Deep hood piercing.jpg, Deep hood piercing
Labia and vulval vestibule
Labia piercing
Labia piercings are one type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in sy ...
can be applied to the labia majora
The labia majora (singular: ''labium majus'') are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum. Together with the labia minora they form the labia of the vulva.
The labia majo ...
or the labia minora
The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated b ...
. The triangle piercing
A triangle piercing is one of several forms of genital piercing applied to the vulva. It is a horizontal piercing that passes from side to side, beneath the base of the clitoral hood tissue where it meets the inner labia and under the clitoris. T ...
is located at the ventral end of the labia minora, at the point of transition between labia and clitoral hood. It runs horizontally, partly under the clitoral shaft. The fourchette piercing
A fourchette piercing is a female genital piercing. It is a piercing done at the rear rim of the vulva
The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external female sex organs. The vulva i ...
passes through the dorsal rim of the vulval vestibule. A less common version of the fourchette piercing is the suitcase piercing which can be considered as a deeper version of the fourchette because it enters through the perineum. Also rather uncommon is the Princess Albertina piercing
Princess Albertina is a female genital piercing, where a ring enters the urethra and exits through the top of the vagina. Anne Greenblatt described the Princess Albertina to Ralph H. in 1995 as a "relatively new and experimental piercing." Its n ...
, the female version of the Prince Albert piercing, that passes through the ventral (lower) wall of the urethra.
File:Inner Labia Piercing Tunnels.jpg, Inner labia piercing
Labia piercings are one type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in sy ...
File:Outer labia piercing.jpg, Outer labia piercing
Labia piercings are one type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in sy ...
File:Nap08 702.jpg, Triangle piercing
A triangle piercing is one of several forms of genital piercing applied to the vulva. It is a horizontal piercing that passes from side to side, beneath the base of the clitoral hood tissue where it meets the inner labia and under the clitoris. T ...
File:Labiaplasty with clitoral hood reduction and Princess Albertina piercing 1.jpg, Princess Albertina piercing
Princess Albertina is a female genital piercing, where a ring enters the urethra and exits through the top of the vagina. Anne Greenblatt described the Princess Albertina to Ralph H. in 1995 as a "relatively new and experimental piercing." Its n ...
File:Fourchette foto.jpg, Fourchette piercing
A fourchette piercing is a female genital piercing. It is a piercing done at the rear rim of the vulva
The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external female sex organs. The vulva i ...
Mons pubis
The Christina piercing
A Christina piercing, also known as a Venus piercing, is a genital piercing
Genital piercing is a form of body piercing that involves piercing a part of the genitalia, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewellery. Neve ...
is a surface piercing
Surface piercings are piercings that are found on flat parts of the body, giving a double-pierced look that sits flat against the skin. A surface bar follows the plane of skin, while a standard piercing is pierced through the plane. Standard pierc ...
, situated on the upper part of the mons pubis
In human anatomy, and in mammals in general, the ''mons pubis'' or pubic mound (also known simply as the mons, and known specifically in females as the ''mons Venus'' or ''mons veneris'') is a rounded mass of fatty tissue found over the pubic sym ...
where the outer labia
The labia majora (singular: ''labium majus'') are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum. Together with the labia minora they form the labia of the vulva.
The labia majo ...
meet. It is similar to the Nefertiti piercing
A Nefertiti piercing is a female genital piercing that is a combination of a vertical clitoral hood piercing and a Christina piercing
A Christina piercing, also known as a Venus piercing, is a genital piercing
Genital piercing is a form of bod ...
, that can be seen as a combination between vertical clitoral hood piercing and Christina piercing.
File:Christina Piercing.jpg, Christina piercing
A Christina piercing, also known as a Venus piercing, is a genital piercing
Genital piercing is a form of body piercing that involves piercing a part of the genitalia, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewellery. Neve ...
File:Nefertiti piercing.jpg, Nefertiti piercing
A Nefertiti piercing is a female genital piercing that is a combination of a vertical clitoral hood piercing and a Christina piercing
A Christina piercing, also known as a Venus piercing, is a genital piercing
Genital piercing is a form of bod ...
Unisex genital piercings
Body piercings that do not involve perforation of genitalia but referred to as "genital piercings" by convention can be worn by all sexes. These include the pubic piercing, which is situated above the penis in males and on the mons pubic in females (comparable to the Christina piercing, but horizontally). The guiche piercing
A guiche piercing is a body piercing through the perineum. Guiche piercings are much more common in men than in women. Although a guiche normally runs perpendicular to the direction of the penis, lateral placements are possible. A series of gui ...
passes horizontally through the perineum while the anal piercing
An anal piercing is a body piercing in the surrounding area of the human anus, usually the perineum.
Despite the name, piercing of the anal sphincter itself is rather rare, because even once the wound canal has healed, piercings through a functi ...
passes through the anus.
File:20 mm piercing.jpg, 20 mm piercing
File:PubicPiercing.jpg, Pubic piercing
File:Guiche100.jpg, Guiche piercing
A guiche piercing is a body piercing through the perineum. Guiche piercings are much more common in men than in women. Although a guiche normally runs perpendicular to the direction of the penis, lateral placements are possible. A series of gui ...
File:Perianal ring piercing in human female.jpg, Anal piercing
An anal piercing is a body piercing in the surrounding area of the human anus, usually the perineum.
Despite the name, piercing of the anal sphincter itself is rather rare, because even once the wound canal has healed, piercings through a functi ...
See also
* Bikini waxing
* Chastity piercing
Chastity piercings are types of genital piercings that can be used to impose chastity in males and females.
Females
A ring or other device is used to hold the labia closed, preventing the wearer from having vaginal sexual intercourse. When de ...
* Cock ring
A cock ring or cockring (also called a C ring, erection ring, penis ring, shaft ring, tension ring, or Arab strap) is a ring worn around the penis, usually at the base. The primary purpose of wearing a cock ring is to restrict the flow of ...
* Genital modification and mutilation
The terms genital modification and genital mutilation can refer to permanent or temporary changes to human sex organs. Some forms of genital alteration are performed on adults with their informed consent at their own behest, usually for aesthetic ...
* Genital jewellery
Genital jewellery, also known as sex jewellery and adult jewellery, is jewellery which is designed specifically for wear on or to accentuate the genitals. In a wider sense also nipple rings and some butt-plugs may be called genital jewellery ...
* Genital tattooing
Genital tattooing is the practice of placing permanent marks under the skin of the genitals in the form of tattoos.
Occurrence
Though tattoos in general have enjoyed an upsurge of popularity, particularly in the west and among younger people, ...
* Nipple piercing
* Play piercing
Play piercing, needle play, or recreational acupuncture is body piercing done for the purpose of enjoying the experience rather than producing a permanent body decoration. Needles, sharpened bones, or other tools used in play piercing are removed ...
References
Citations
Sources
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External links
General information
*Elayne Angel
Elayne Angel (born Elayne Steinberg, August 6, 1960) is an American professional body piercer.
Early life and education
Angel attended Canoga Park High School and Chatsworth High School. In 1982, she earned an associate degree in Sign Langua ...
: ''An approach to genital piercings.'' published by the Association of Professional Piercers
The Association of Professional Piercers is the oldest and longest running organization for professional piercing.
History
The Association of Professional Piercers was founded in the 1994 by Michaela Grey and colleagues. The first members were ...
:
General issues
Clitoral hood and labia piercings
Prince Albert and pubic piercings
Frenum, Lorum, Hafada and Guiche
Foreskin, Dydoe, Ampallang and Apadravya
{{DEFAULTSORT:Genital piercing
Body modification
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