By S.

Genital piercings generally evoke one of three reactions—a whimper and look of horror at the thought of metal in personal parts, a series of questions, or a smile followed by, “That’s hot, can I see?”

A little bit of well-placed metal can look dangerously sexy and can cause anything from the lightest brush of lace across your personals to deep, hard, and fast thrusting to feel new, different, and extremely pleasurable.

So, for anyone wondering, where? how? why? and for some of you considering adding a little more excitement to your body and your love life, here are the basics on the most personal of piercings.

Some types of genital piercings are more common than others because of the wide range of body shapes and contours.  No one’s personals are structured exactly the same, so every piercing is slightly different. When working with something this intimate, people need to work with their own form to come up with an arrangement that flatters their body and causes them pleasure. That said, here are some of the more common places to pierce, and what they are known for.

Piercings for the Pussy (for female-bodied people)

The Clitoral Hood- is the most common female genital piercing and reported to be one of the most pleasurable. Because the overwhelming majority of women are not physically suited for an actual clitoral piercing and don’t want to risk damaging such precious nerves, hood piercings are a safe and beautiful way to focus on what may be the best nerves in her body.

Hood piercings are generally vertical, with the ball of a bar bell resting on the clit as the metal goes through that thin and delicate piece of skin covering just above. For some women, this extra bit of stimulation in such a sensitive spot can bring them almost to climax from walking, or sliding on that black lace thong before going out for the night, but for many women, the placement just helps to add a little extra pleasure when playing.

A lover of mine adored the feeling of a vibrator placed lightly on the ball of the piercing so she could feel the vibrations running through the metal. She also joked, “No man has ever not been able to find my clit since,” as the beautiful jeweled tip highlighted where she wanted a tongue most.

Hood piercings can be horizontal, or rings instead of barbells, depending on what the wearer wants in looks and sensations, and what her anatomy allows. Not all women have large enough or separated enough hoods for this to be an enjoyable or lasting piercing.

The Triangle- adds extra stimulation to the clit, but unlike the hood, rests behind the clitoral nerve bundle. Most women are not structured to have a triangle, as it needs a clit that can be pulled away from the body for a piercer to pierce behind. This is also a piercing that needs to be done by a true professional, because it goes between lots of incredibly important nerves. But, for those suited for the triangle, it allows for full circle stimulation.

The Christina- is a symmetrical surface piercing where the outer labia meets below the pubic mound. This is a piercing generally done for looks, not pleasure, because without longer dangling jewelry, it doesn’t stimulate any high nerve areas. It can look tantalizingly sexy, and there is the satisfyingly naughty feeling of having something placed in your personals.

The Fourchette- is a piercing placed at the lower labia at the base of the vaginal opening (the skin on the ass side of the vagina opening, or female guiche). Depending on how deeply this piercing is placed, there may be one ball of the bar bell resting just inside of the vagina, with one ball outside and visible when she bends over and spreads her legs (a position we should all look our best in). Because this is an area greatly different from vulva to vulva, not all ladies are suited for this piercing, and it falls in different places for those who are.  When everything works out well, though, the fourchette can add that extra bit of stimulation during the first thrust of penetration, and with large enough jewelry can hit a male partner’s tip with some new sensations.

Other- there are countless other piercings and piercing combinations individual to each ladies’ anatomy, including many inner and outer labia piercings. As a general rule, if you can pull away skin and pinch it, you can pierce it, but because of the variability of genital piercings, you should defiantly work with a professional to find something that suits you.

Piercings about the penis (for male bodied people)

The Prince Albert- is the most common male genital piercing, pleasuring the penis from new and exciting angles. The PA runs through the urethra and out through the frenulum (through the hole in the top and out just under the head, or just inside the juncture of the foreskin for uncircumcised men). This piercing stimulates the inside of the urethra, a place with a high concentration of nerves that can be extremely pleasurable. While the PA looks extremely painful, the actual hole of the piercing is going through a very thin amount of skin, and a skilled piercer will avoid the sensitive nerve bundle under the ridge of the penis.

The Ampallang and The Apradravya- are more difficult, but still pleasurable head piercings. The hole is made respectively horizontally or vertically through the head of the penis, requiring a long bar bell (often well over an inch). While the recovery time is longer and there is often more pain associated with these piercings, they can still be highly pleasurable for everyone enjoying them. They also are pretty high on the “fuckin’ bad ass” scale.

Foreskin Piercing- if you have one, you can pierce it. This is a fairly easy piercing, known to cause hardly any pain and to heal quickly. Virtually any part of the foreskin can be pierced, although there is a risk of the piercing ripping. This piercing can also be highly pleasurable, depending on placement, as the metal rubs against such crucial nerves.

Other- espically with the male anatomy, piercings are like porn—if you can think of it, somebody has done it, and it’s on the Internet. Practically any part of the male anatomy can be pierced. From the less painful scrotal skin piercings, to the in depth through-scrotum piercings, to surface piercings lying above the juncture of the shaft and the pubic bone, or the guiche behind the scrotum and before the anus, all have their own pains and pleasures.

Sex With Piercings (is pretty amazing)

One of the biggest myths about personal piercings, is that you have to wait for months after getting one done before you can try it out with a friend. In reality, most piercers will recommend easing into things based on comfort. Some piercings take as long as 6 months to fully heal, and it would be ridiculous to expect abstinence for that long. Most people I know were back in that latex saddle within the week, just proceeding with caution and protection to keep everything clean and uninfected.

After the first few weeks of healing is up, piercings can make sex better than ever before. Like all things, you should check in with your lover and make sure that they are comfortable, but a little bit of metal in no way means that you can’t fuck as rough as you want. If the ball is pressing deep in to her clit, she may be enjoying it, not writhing in pain, and it is that extra tension and pull of a deep thrust that uses a P.A. to its fullest. Also, with lube, and smooth, rounded jewelry, piercings are no excuse not to wear condoms—Play safe, kids.

To Pierce at Oberlin—unfortunately, there are no professional and specialized genital pierciers within walking distance from your dorm. However, Nate and Tyson at Body Anthology in Amherst, are some of the cleanest and most professional genital piercers in Ohio. With extensive experience in genital and unusual piercings, they err on the cautious side and will make sure that you are safe, and happy, helping you with one of the best decisions you can make for what you keep in your pants.

Xoxox