Piercing: Pain or Pleasure? Or both?

You might be thinking, aren’t piercings common? And the answer is yes, you probably know someone with an ear piercing or two (or twelve!). However, you may not know someone with a nipple piercing, or a clitoris piercing, or even one through the tip of the penis! There are many reasons someone may choose to get an intimate piercing; however, this decision is not without risks. No matter what your reason for the piercing—to increase pleasure, to jazz up your genitals, to just to be different, or if you are just curious to learn about piercings--read on for more info!

Okay, so, what is an intimate piercing? In this blog, intimate piercings are piercings located on the nipples, anus, and genitals. Yes, the genitals. In fact, any genital location can be pierced (cringing yet?) including the clitoral hood, inner and outer labia, perineum, scrotum, and the penile glans, shaft, and foreskin. The jewellery can range from a stud, hoop, or barbell.

Ouch! Doesn’t that hurt?

Now, you are probably wondering, does that hurt? Well, it may hurt, but it may not… I know, helpful right?! Like with any other piercing, how an intimate piercing feels when it is actually happening varies from person to person. Some people have reported pain (a “stabbing” sensation; Angle, 2009) or discomfort (a “pricking” sensation; Angle, 2009), whereas others have reported enjoying the feeling, or did not find it painful at all (Angle, 2009). Piercings happen quickly, so if there is pain or discomfort, these feelings usually disappear quickly (Angle, 2009).

One’s piercing experience may also depend on the type of genital piercing. Some may hurt more than others. For example, a frenum piercing (through surface skin located on the underside of the penis, between the shaft and the glans of the penis) may be less painful than an ampallang (that penetrates directly through the penile glans, horizontally) (Hogan et al., 2010). This difference makes sense because less of the penis is being pierced in the frenum piercing than in the ampallang, and because of this difference, healing times are also longer for the ampallang (about 5 months) than the frenum piercing (2-5 weeks).

Why get one?

Another common question is why would someone want an intimate piercing? However, this question is much like asking, why do people get tattoos, or why do people get plastic surgery? All of these questions are asking something similar. Why do people go out of their way to apply body modifications that might be painful?

The most common reason for getting an intimate piercing is self-expression (Caliendo et al., 2005). Intimate piercings are a way to express one’s identity and uniqueness. The piercing becomes part of their aesthetic. Someone might like the way it looks, or like how it makes them feel, which is also a part of self-expression, even if it is not readily visible. Intimate piercings can also be a form of sexual expression. Research indicates that those with intimate piercings are likely to identify as a sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual), be single, and start their sexual debut at a younger age than those who do not have intimate piercings (Caliendo et al., 2005). Other studies have found that intimate piercings can be a way to overcome past traumatic experiences, as it may help people reclaim their body (Van Hoover et al., 2017). Another common reason is because they “just wanted to” or because they “liked the way it looked” or even “for the heck of it” (Hogan et al., 2010).

Now the big question, do intimate piercings increase sexual pleasure? While improving sexual pleasure is a motive for getting an intimate piercing, it is possible to experience temporary or permanent loss of sensation if the piercing is poorly placed (Angle, 2009). Having an experienced piercer and discussing whether or not you want the piercing as a sensation enhancer or as a decoration only will help increase positive outcomes (Angle, 2009). Research shows that sexual outcomes are generally positive for most people with intimate piercings:  Hogan and colleagues found that 75-85% of participants reported an increase in their own sexual pleasure, and 62-67% reported increased partner sexual satisfaction (Hogan et al., 2010). However, just over half of the men (53%) reported complications from their intimate piercings, which ranged from urination flow changes to infection (Hogan et al., 2010). Despite issues such as these, 93% of participants said they would get an intimate piercing again (Hogan et al., 2010).

Common piercings in the vulvar area

Clitoral hood piercings

o   Description: This is the most common vulva piercing. This piercing goes though the clitoral hood and around the clitoris.

o   Positives: No more painful than other body piercings (similar to ear piercings), a healing time around 4-8 weeks, usually done for aesthetic reasons, and is the safest option for clitoral piercings.

o   Negatives: Doesn’t provide much sexual pleasure, not everyone’s anatomy is suitable for this type of piercing (larger hood size and symmetry are needed), and there is a risk of infection.

Triangle piercings

o   Description: Goes through the base of the clitoral hood, behind (but not through) the clitoris.

o   Positives: It can increase sexual pleasure during clitoral stimulation.

o   Negatives: Painful to get (it passes through lots of tissue and some nerves), risk of clitoral nerve damage, it can take up to 12 weeks to heal, and not everyone’s anatomy is suitable for this type of piercing (e.g., the hood may not protrude enough to be pierced).

Vertical or horizontal clitoral piercings

o   Description: This piercing goes directly through the clitoris either vertically or horizontally.

o   Positives: Healing time of 2-6 weeks. It can greatly increase pleasure if done correctly.

o   Negatives: This piercing is not advised because the clitoral area is highly sensitive, vascular, and contains many nerves, which can be damaged. Not everyone’s anatomy is suitable for this type of piercing (e.g., the clitoris has to be large enough to pierce).

Common piercings in the penile area

Prince Albert piercing

o   Description: This is the most common penile piercing. The piercing is ring-like and it extends along the underside of the glans, from the urethral opening to the location where the glans and shaft meet.

o   Positives: Intense urethral stimulation during penetration for both partners. 1-2 months to heal, which is one of the shortest healing times for penile piercings.

o   Negatives: Changes in urinary flow. Complications can arise such as urethral tears and proneness to more frequent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Dydoe

o   Description: Passes through the ridge that is located between the shaft and glans (in people who do not have a foreskin). 

o   Positives: Enhances sexual pleasure as it adds pressure to the glans, a highly sensitive area. Can stimulate partner during penetrative sexual activities.

o   Negatives: Can take up to 4 months to heal. Reported to be one of the most painful genital piercings.

Frenum or Frenum Ladder

o   Description: Located on the underside of the shaft of the penis, between the shaft and the glans of the penis. The Ladder consists of a series of parallel frenum piercings down the middle, underside of the penile shaft.

o   Positives: Easier and less painful procedure compared to other penile piercings. Healing time of 1-3 months. Enhances sexual pleasure for person and partner/s during penetrative sexual activities. Low risk of rejection.

o   Negatives: Risk of infection. The piercing may migrate.

I hope you enjoyed the quick tour of piercings!

So, to sum things up: There are many reasons people get intimate piercings, with self-expression, sexual expression, and enhanced pleasure being the main ones. There are different types of genital piercings (more than what is listed above – those are just some of the more common ones!), with various benefits and risks, as well as goals (e.g., sexual pleasure, aesthetics). If you are considering an intimate piercing, remember that all piercings have associated risks, so it is important to do more research, be clear about your goals, and talk to a professional about the risks and benefits before getting it done – this type of piercing is not something that should be done on a whim, or ever worse, after a night of partying.

If you get one, or two, or twelve, make sure to follow healing protocols to decrease chances of infection and rejection. Depending on your goals and your anatomy, certain piercings might be better suited for you than others.

Written by Suraya Meghji, Life science 2021

References

Angle, E. (2009). The piercing bible: the definitive guide to safe body piercing. Crossing Press. https://books.google.ca/books?id=uz-84gxdYAgC&dq=intimate+piercings+hurt&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Armstrong, M. L., Caliendo, C., & Roberts, A. E. (2006). Genital Piercings: What Is Known And What People with Genital Piercings Tell Us. Urological Nursing , 26(3), 173–179.

Caliendo, C., Armstrong, M. L., & Roberts, A. E. (2005). Self-reported characteristics of women and men with intimate body piercings. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 49(5), 474–484. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03320.x

Hogan, L., Rinard, K., Young, C., Roberts, A. E., Armstrong, M. L., & Nelius, T. (2010). A Cross-Sectional Study of Men with Genital Piercings. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 3(2), 315.

Millner, V. S., Eichold, B. H., Sharpe, T. H., & Lynn, S. C. (2005). First glimpse of the functional benefits of clitoral hood piercings. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 193(3), 675–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2005.02.130

Van Der Meer, G. T., Schultz, W. C. M. W., & Nijman, J. M. (2008). Intimate body piercings in women. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 29(4), 235–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/01674820802621874

Van Hoover, C., Rademayer, C.-A., & Farley, C. L. (2017). Body piercing: motivations and implications for health. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 62(5), 521–530. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12630