A transscrotal piercing is a

body piercing Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...

that travels through 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 ...

from front to back, or from side to side. It is a high risk procedure.

Procedure

This male genital piercing is an extremely advanced procedure, and is not done using a needle. Instead a scalpel or occasionally a dermal punch is used to make an incision, which is then followed by suturing the front to the back in order to create a viable

fistula A fistula (plural: fistulas or fistulae ; from Latin ''fistula'', "tube, pipe") in anatomy is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other hollow or ...

. Large gauge jewelry is usually then inserted into the incision. If the bond between the front and the back of the piercing holds, healing is very quick and easy. Should a bond fail to form, healing can be lengthy and problematic. This is a serious, complex piercing, and should an

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable d ...

develop, it can develop within the scrotum and becomes dangerous very quickly. This procedure is often considered to be a potentially dangerous surgical procedure, and is not by any means common.

Jewelry

Transscrotal piercings are usually healed with a

barbell A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end. Barbells range in length from to above , alth ...

although

teflon Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. It is one of the best-known and widely applied PFAS. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chem ...

, tygon or other flexible inert jewelry can also be used. Once healed, transscrotal piercings can be stretched quickly and, given the amount of surrounding tissue, to great size if desired. A variety of jewelry can be used in healed transscrotal piercings, including large

captive bead ring A captive bead ring (CBR), ball closure ring (BCR), captive hoop, or captive ball ring is a common example of body piercing jewelry. The captive bead or ball fits into a small opening in the circle of the ring. The bead is slightly larger than t ...

s and plugs. Jewelry for transscrotal piercings is often custom made.

History and culture

The transscrotal piercing is of contemporary origin, and has generally only been performed by practitioners of other "extreme" body modifications such as

subdermal implant A subdermal implant refers to a body modification that is placed underneath the skin, therefore allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. Such implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many subderma ...

s, transdermal implants and

tongue splitting Tongue bifurcation, splitting or forking, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside base, forking the end. Bifid tongue in humans may also be an unintended complication of ...

. Like other "heavy" genital modifications, it may be performed under less than ideal situations by amateur practitioners as part of CBT or other

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in ...

activities. It is also sometimes spelled transcrotal piercing or referred to as a "scrunnel" (short for scrotal tunnel).

References

External links

Body Modification Ezine article on Transscrotal piercing
{{Body Piercing Male genital piercings Scrotum