A clitoris 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. Nevertheless, the term may also be used '' pars pro toto'' to indicate all body pi ...

placed directly through the head (glans) of the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the op ...

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 allow the constant wearing of a small ring or barbell. It is often confused with the more common clitoral hood piercing, which pierces only the hood covering the clitoral glans, allowing the jewellery to make only occasional contact with the most sensitive area.

General

Depending on the anatomy of the individual, a clitoris piercing can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. The clitoris is endowed with a very high concentration of nerve endings and like male genital piercings which penetrate the

glans 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 pl ...

, clitoral piercings can be extremely sexually stimulating when subjected to gentle manipulation, or vibration, hence their popularity in certain S & M cultures, where small heavy ornaments are often fitted to increase the sensation. Piercer

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 ...

stated that of the "very small number of women who genuinely desire a clitoris piercing (rather than the more common clitoral hood piercing), 90 to 95 percent are not suitably built to accommodate jewelry through the clitoral head." The piercee must have a large enough clitoris to prevent migration of the piercing and subsequent loss because a slightly thicker gauge of jewellery is usually used to prevent the 'cheese-cutter' effect if it becomes caught on clothing, or is pulled too hard during sexual activity.

History and culture

This piercing is of contemporary origin and is uncommon. In 1989, piercer Jim Ward, interviewed by Andrea Juno in '' Modern Primitives'', stated "I've been in the business for over 10 years and I haven't done more than half a dozen clit piercings."

Jewelry

Both

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 ...

s and

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 ...

style jewelry can be worn in this piercing, both as initial jewelry and in the long term.

Gallery

File:Christina Piercing 01.jpg, Two clitoris piercings with

s along with a Christina piercing File:Lizas Labiaplastie.jpg, A vertical clitoris piercing with a

on after a labiaplasty (

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 ...

and

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 ...

removed)

General

History and culture

Jewelry

Gallery

References

Further reading