Should I pierce my junk?

March 26, 2008 7:56 PM

[NSFW] What can you tell me about male genital piercings?

I'm seriously considering having my penis pierced. I'd most likely go with a prince albert, but I'm open to other options as well. I've googled around a decent bit, but am having trouble finding quality first-hand reports of the positive benefits or health consequences of genital piercing. What are some good resources for this type of info?

If you or your partner has a genital piercing, what has your experience been like? I'm looking for anything from rave reviews to horror stories.

One of my most important concerns is the potential for loss of ability to piss my name in the snow. Is such control over direction of urinary flow still possible with a pierced urethra?

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posted by anonymous to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Check out BME. I'm sure they have tons of piercing/healing reports.
posted by yellowbinder at 8:23 PM on March 26, 2008

Just checked it out and they've got lots of reports, but pictures require a full membership.
posted by yellowbinder at 8:24 PM on March 26, 2008

Is such control over direction of urinary flow still possible with a pierced urethra?

It's not a given, is the problem. I used to have "pierced dick" as one of my requirements for marriage, but my [now] ex husband was concerned about this very thing and decided to go for the much less junk-invasive hafada instead. What he had read at the time that concerned him were two things 1. some guys with a PA had flow disruption such that they sat down to pee 2. if you take the PA out and it's after the holes have healed, you have a hole in the bottom of your dick. Now, I think both of these are small concerns, but he didn't think so. The BMEzine wiki confirms that this is something to take into account

Most wearers discover that wearing a ring in their urethra affects the urine stream — the liquid exiting the glans tends to follow the ring downward and "fans" the stream out in a way that is difficult to control, resulting in the need to sit down to urinate. This can present problems in some settings in which a toilet isn't readily available, such as in pubs or outdoor venues.

You might want to consider an ampallang above the urethra of snow-name-writing is of utmost importance to you. They're still pretty neat looking.
posted by jessamyn at 9:00 PM on March 26, 2008

A PA will be easy and quick to heal, and relatively painless as far as wiener piercings go. It will however require you to sit to pee. There's something metal coming out of the hole after all.

Another option is a frenum, similar placement, but it's just through the skin and doesn't enter the urethra. So you can pee normal. It also doesn't provide any urethral stimulation which may be a bad or a good thing. Also quick to heal and not too hurty.

There's also an apadravya or an amplang, which passes all the way vertically or horizontally through the head. Much more hurty and takes much longer to heal. Provides a different kind of urethral stimulation, and does not get in the way of peeing.

There's a couple more options like dydoes. If you check BME they do at least have a drawing of the piercing. Also check the blog modblog and search for "genital".

I've had all of these except the amplang, and currently just have the apadravya.
posted by gally99 at 9:15 PM on March 26, 2008

I've had a PA for 3 1/2 years now (my, how time flies!) and I have nothing but good things to report. My gf loves giving head even more than before because she can play with the ring. I have to admit that I haven't really noticed any difference on my end of things, intercourse-wise, but again, she loves it.

Going to the bathroom is a bit tricky -- I will just sit down if I'm in a hurry, but it is still possible to control the stream with a bit of effort.

One downside I have noticed is that it's easier to get things twisted up when my pants bunch up but a bit of discreet readjustment clears that right up.

I went straight to a 6 gauge ring. It seemed really heavy at first, but it healed fairly rapidly and it's just a part of me now.
posted by bigdamnnerd at 9:33 PM on March 26, 2008

Yeah, start with an amp. Some lovers find them too intense, but it varies a LOT. And PAs work fine in the snow, just get a fatter piece of metal if the serifs get too noodly. So I hear.
posted by okbye at 10:09 PM on March 26, 2008

I had a frenum for a long time. Easiest piercing I ever got.
posted by infinitywaltz at 10:10 PM on March 26, 2008

Get pierced *only* for you. If you are getting pierced for any other reason please think it over very carefully.

I have a PA and some other piercings, done in 1991-'92, and regret only that I did not get them sooner. The PA gives increased sensation during vigorous activity but it doesn't contribute so much in soft slow fellatio unless my partner makes a deliberate effort. Partners with tongue studs are to be sought out and cherished. It depends on what kinds of sensations you find agreeable. The urethral friction is crazy fun as far as I'm concerned but YMMV.

The day you get a PA you'll dread taking a leak - it's like pissing razor blades but that stops being an issue after a day or so. I stuck to the "no sex for six weeks" rule, for about three days. You can't -not- play with your weeny when it has a shiny toy in it.

As for pissing your name in the snow, try this: Extend unit and rotate it axially 90 degrees - 180 degrees. Proceed as usual. I have no problem with urinals by doing this though the aim point will change from the unadorned condition.
posted by jet_silver at 10:15 PM on March 26, 2008

A strategically placed finger underneath helps on those occasions where a PA isn't fitting snugly if you want dribble-free flow. Assertions above to the contrary, there is not necessarily any need to sit down to piss.

Experience suggests a ring is better than a curved barbell for a PA; it is possible to snag the opening in unlikely but likewise unpleasant ways. Also, you'll never lose your car keys again...
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:26 AM on March 27, 2008

I chipped a tooth on a price albert once. Hope your partner has dental insurance.
posted by crazycanuck at 5:43 AM on March 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'll second BME, the piercing stories do not require membership and they have a great wiki with info on the showerhead effect (it seems as though sitting or going for the apadravya might be your best bet in terms of peeing). Links NSFW.
posted by book at 7:26 AM on March 27, 2008

Friend of mine had a piercing once - not sure exactly which, he wasn't *that* good a friend - but had to take it out because his gf was getting blisters. *shudder*
posted by restless_nomad at 7:56 AM on March 27, 2008

My fiance has a PA and has no problems with it. He wears a 6 gauge curved barbell. Sometimes I have him take it out - it's not uncomfortable for me in most positions, but as he is fairly well-endowed, some positions cause a little discomfort for me where jewelry is bumping into sensitive fleshy parts. I haven't found it to be a problem with regards to oral sex - I'm just careful about keeping my teeth out of the way. He can urinate standing up just fine as long as the ball on the underside is large enough to cover the hole.

I have dated other men with genital piercings. One had a frenum ladder, which is a series of piercings through the skin on the underside of the penis. These don't go through the shaft or urethra so they don't affect urination. The effect felt interesting but didn't really add to my pleasure much, it just felt different than an unadorned penis.
posted by bedhead at 10:03 AM on March 27, 2008

I love mine, and so does my wife! Couldn't like it better. I can use urinals and such now but it took quite a bit of practice. The stuff I read online mostly said that getting the receiving tube put in your urethra is the worst part of the piercing process...I found this to be untrue. The worst part is when you get the PIECE OF METAL JAMMED THROUGH YOUR FRENULUM. Don't be fooled on that account. Really though it wasn't that bad. The part that actually did suck was waking up with an erection in the middle of the night...un-be-lieveably painful shit. I talked to the pierce about it and he suggested keeping a very cold glass of water next to your bed at night...if you wake up and have this problem soak away as the temperature will not only numb the pain but also decrease your erection. I highly recommend doing this if you decide to go through with it.
posted by baphomet at 5:44 PM on March 27, 2008