Sex.co.nz

The art and fashion of penis piercing has been around a lot longer than you might think. It is commonly held that Prince Albert – yes Q Vic’s husband – back in the late 19^th century had a piercing – no surprise it was called the Prince Albert then – primarily to keep things under control in those tight, tight pants that were all the rage back then, but hey this might be a load of you know what and, imagine if he was tethered by the old Albert ring and got a bit excited…

That’d bring tears to your eyes.

Piercing has moved on a little since then and here are some of the modern day favourites, and not to be a downer, some of the risks associated with poking sharp things through the old fella. Here are some of the popular options:

Ampallang/Apadravya: A straight barbell is pierced horizontally (ampallang) or vertically (apadravya) through the head of the penis, passing either above, under, or through the urethra.

Dydoe: One or more curved barbells or rings is pierced through the edge of the penis head.

Foreskin: The foreskin of an uncircumcised penis is pierced with a bead ring or circular barbell one or multiple times.

Frenum: Behind the Prince Albert, this is the second most popular male genital piercing.  A straight barbell, curved barbell, or captive bead ring is pierced through the flexible skin on the underside of the shaft.  Variations include: 1.) Lorum Piercing—the piercing is positioned at the base of the shaft, near the scrotum, and 2.) Frenum Ladder—a row of several frenum piercings.

Guiche/Perineum: A captive bead ring is pierced under the scrotum, near the anus.

Hafada/Scrotum: A piercing on any part of the scrotum.

Prince Albert: A barbell or captive bead ring is fed through the urethra and pierced through the bottom of the penis. A reverse Prince Albert involves the piercing exiting through the top of the penis.

Pubic: A captive bead ring is centered atop the shaft at the base of the man’s penis to stimulate a woman’s clitoris during deep penetration.

Some of the issues:

Urethra/Urination: The good thing about getting a piercing that passes through your urethra is that your urine acts as a sterilizing agent, helping to clean the wound. However, even though the Prince Albert is the most popular penis piercing, these deep piercings come with a number of problems. Some men with a Prince Albert prefer to sit when they urinate to reduce the dribble and splatter effect the piercing has on their urine stream. This piercing also has the potential of angering your partner who has to deal with your urine splattering the toilet seat. Once the piercing is removed, it’s common for the urine flow to be diverted through the hole left by the jewelry. Some men merely cover this flute hole with their finger until it heals. Others may have to seek a minor plastic surgery to permanently close the gap. These piercings can also cause a narrowing of the urethra due to scar tissue, making it more difficult to use the bathroom. Urethra piercings also come with an increased chance of urinary tract infections.

Ripping and tearing: The motivation behind many of these piercings is to increase sexual pleasure for you and your partner by increasing friction. Unfortunately this same friction can cause the piercing to tear the skin or be ripped out. Shallow piercings like the Frenum and the Dydoe are particularly susceptible to being ripped out during rough sex. However, even a piercing as deep as the Prince Albert can get caught and cause a tear. In addition to unsightly and pragmatic scar tissue, if the bead end of a barbell comes undone during sex, the barb can inflict serious puncture wounds on you or your partner.

Erectile tissue: If the piercing accidentally goes too deep, it can damage your erectile tissue. This may result in a curved erection or increased difficulty getting and sustaining an erection.

Scrotum piercings: Any male genital piercing that is not on the shaft of the penis is particularly prone to infection due to increased perspiration and a lack of ventilation. The Guiche, which is positioned between the anus and the scrotum, is especially at risk. Also, this type of piercing isn’t recommended for anyone who sits for much of the day, as this may irritate the piercing. While the scrotum offers plenty of places for a piercing, it is extremely important that the piercing be shallow and not puncture the scrotum sac, as this will dramatically increase the chances of infection.