Body And Penile Piercing

Body piercing is becoming more and more common in the U.S. though worldwide it is hardly a new custom. People from many cultures have been piercing areas of their bodies since time immemorial. In this country, women began to pierce their ears with some regularity some fifty years ago and by the early 1970s many adolescent girls began piercing their ears as a kind of rite of passage and by the mid-to-late 1970s adolescent boys were following suit. And in the counterculture of the 1970s with the advent of punk rock many teenagers as well as young men and women in their 20s began piercing their noses, ears and tongues. A number of urban gay men began piercing their nipples and genitals during this same period.

Today gay males as well as young heterosexual males and females and lesbians are responsible for making piercing more popular than ever.

Piercing can be done anywhere a flap of skin hangs away from the body -- meaning almost anywhere on the body including:

• nipples
• ears
• nose
• tongue
• female genitalia
• male genitalia

To be successful, piercing must be a joint effort between you and the person piercing you, with responsibility shared between both parties. There is no license given out or any regulation by health agencies to potential piercers -- therefore you should select someone whom you trust and who is experienced in body piercing -- not your friend, lover or next door neighbor -- unless they happen to be professional body piercers.

Piercing is not without risks and is something that should not be rushed into or decided lightly, but only after understanding what risks may be involved and how you have to keep the area clean during healing and monitor it regularly afterwards.

If you want an area of your body pierced, be sure the professional you have chosen uses sterilized instruments. You should not require an anesthetic. The needle which passes through your skin creates a passageway for a ring or a bar to keep open through the healing process which can take several months and occurs in two stages:

Stage One

During this crucial period infection can occur, though rarely does if appropriate hygienic methods are followed. Your tissues are open while skin grows down the passageway from either end. Fluid which is usually clear and golden yellowish oozes out and can form crust on the ring or bar. You must wash it away with an antibacterial soap so that infection is less likely to occur. And remember not to pull on the ring during this initial healing process because bleeding and ripping can occur. This is a period when you must be vigilant -- you have something new attached to your body -- keep it well cleaned and don't treat it roughly.

Stage Two

This begins when your new skin has lined the passageway completely and so washing with an antibacterial soap does not have to be done as frequently, yet you must still not pull on the ring or treat the pierced area roughly because injury can still occur.

Who is at risk for complications from piercing?

Piercing is safe for most persons with some possible exceptions:

• persons with HIV are generally able to be safely pierced unless the person is not able to heal well and is in poor health
• persons who are prone to form thick scars or keloids must assess the possible risks of keloids forming on sexual areas
• diabetics have high risks of infection

If you have any doubts about risks of piercing given your personal health status, contact your health care provider and discuss if the procedure is safe for you.

Additionally, before surgery, your metal ring or jewelry should usually be removed because of the electric current used to stop bleeding that is utilized by surgeons in most operations.

After assessing risks, be knowledgeable about complications that can sometimes ensue as well:

• rash -- an allergic reaction to your ring -- do not use silver because of its reactive properties -- stainless steel is recommended
• bleeding is rare but can occur -- usually applying slight pressure will stop it
• urinary tract infection can occur because of bacteria on the ring -- usually most commonly seen on the urethra -- antibiotics will be necessary to treat the infection

Penile piercing

A number of men, many gay, have gotten or are contemplating penile piercing. If you want to have your penis pierced remember never have it pierced straight through the shaft. Both erectile tissue and blood vessels can be damaged. However, your glans (or head) may be pierced as well as your foreskin, scrotum and frenum. The three most common glans piercings include:

• the Prince Albert (PA) -- the ring goes through the urethra and out the undersurface of the shaft. Urine will spray out the head though it can be a bit messy.
• the apabravya -- the urethra is speared from top to bottom so that it resembles two screws tightening around the head
• the ampallang -- the glans is pierced from side to side, not involving the urethra, and resembling two screws going through the sides of the head

You must be sure that the ring is the right size for you -- best tested during an erection. And you must use larger condoms when engaging in sexual activity and use heavier ones as the thin ones are likely to be torn by the metal ring. When engaging in oral, anal or vaginal sex, be careful not to play rough and hurt your partner, tearing the lining of your partner's skin.

If you are thinking about getting an area of your body pierced, please see a health care provider with whom you are comfortable to discuss if it is appropriate based on your general health status and to assess together the risks and complications involved as well as proper hygiene methods during the healing process.