| Dear Josey,
I was reading your column Pussy Praise (MMB, January 26, 2006) and you mentioned a "bejeweled friend." My husband has pointed out a few women with jewelry down there in porn magazines. I've been thinking of surprising him and getting bejeweled myself. But I have a few questions.
Dear Considering,
Before we get to your questions, I’d like to talk about safety. Despite the recent story about the 17-year-old in Newfoundland whose death was supposedly linked to an infection caused by her nipple piercing, most piercings, if done by a trained professional and cared for properly, are perfectly safe. As the Body Modification Website BMEzine.com said in a press release in response to the case, "one could also die of the same kind of infection from a paper cut. Freak accidents do happen." Besides, you can usually tell if a piercing isn’t healing properly before you get into this kind of danger.
As for your questions, I decided to take them to the bejeweled one herself.
You: What are my options for what I get pierced?
Bejeweled One: Labia (inner and outer), clit hood (vertical or horizontal), clit (personally, these make me nervous), nipples (OK, not genitalia, but still an erogenous zone). I have multiple labia piercings.
Y. What are the upsides (pleasure) and downsides (pain)?
BO: Some would say the pain is an upside! The piercing doesn't really hurt but the healing can be uncomfortable and you may feel the jewelry tug a little, which can be a little disconcerting, but don't worry, it absolutely won't tear out!
Unlike clit-related piercings, labia piercings – while pretty – don't offer direct stimulation. That said, if they’re positioned high on the labia, they can be flipped up to rub against the clit during sex play. Also fun is that you have a secret no one but your husband has to know about.
Y: How do I choose someone to do the piercing?
BO: Ask around. Research online. Find an established, reputable tattoo/piercing shop in your area. Find out how long their piercer has been piercing. The piercer should use new latex gloves and needles, and have a working autoclave (sterilizer). Ask in advance about after-care – if they don't give you a satisfactory answer, go elsewhere. Do not ever, ever let anyone use the kind of earring-gun they use to pierce ears.
Y: What jewelery do I wear down there?
BO: Rings and barbells are pretty much the standard. Stainless steel allows the piercing to heal fastest and is less likely to cause a reaction than gold or silver.
Y: Should I take it out when going to the doctor?
BO: Totally up to you. I keep mine in – the rings can be pesky to take out – except once when I had to have X-rays. Most doctors have seen it all, so unless s/he is really old and conservative, it's not awkward. Good luck and let Josey know how it turns out!
Dear Josey,
I was watching a talk show recently and they were discussing teen sex. One of the guests mentioned that along with oral, some women are practicing anal sex to avoid getting pregnant. The guest said that you can actually get pregnant from anal sex and the host did not ask her to explain. Is this really possible? I am somewhat embarrassed being an "informed" 40-year-old and never having heard this before.
Dear Butting,
This is the first I’ve heard of this, too. This kind of information – especially given to teens – really gets my goat. Of course, you can’t get pregnant directly from anal sex. I suppose some sex educators would argue that if he ejaculated in her bum, some of the sperm could trickle out and swim into her vagina.
It’s not unlike telling girls they can get pregnant on their period. The chances are next to nil but we don’t want to tell young people this because we’d rather treat them like idiots and tell them everything's risky so they’ll be nice and paranoid about sex – misinformed and paranoid. It’s reminiscent of the old "scared straight" approach to drug education. You know, if you smoke a joint, you’ll end up on heroin or jumping off a building. If I were a teen, I’d find it insulting. What would be more helpful is to tell kids that if they are going to have anal sex to avoid pregnancy, they need to make sure they’re both virgins. If he’s had unprotected sex with other partners, unprotected anal sex can increase her risk for contracting HIV or other STIs because anal tissue is delicate and tears more easily. To that end, telling them to use lube to make things less resistant and more fun would also be good advice. But that might be encouraging them to actually find ways to enjoy sex more, and we can’t have that now, can we?
House of Ass
Speaking of fun anal sex, I just finished watching Tristan Taormino’s new video, House of Ass, in which she films a group of porn stars staying in a house in L.A. for one weekend. The results are funny, enlightening and hot. I’ve always loved how Tristan combines her smarts and enthusiasm about anal with hot sex. Here, she gets up close and personal in more ways than one. The candid footage of the stars revealing sex tips and offering their opinions and insights on the biz give them a human side, something you don’t always get in a DVD of wall-to-wall gyno-shots of people fucking. Go to puckerup.com for more info or to order a copy. |
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