That doesn’t sound like a lot, but gather 1,000 people with vaginas in a room, and eight to 20 of them will have taken needle-to-netherbits. Here’s everything you need to know about the process, risks, and benefits of vaginal piercings. “Genital piercing” is the most commonly used industry term, and for people with vaginas, “vulva piercing” would be the most accurate description. The vulva is the external part of the genitalia, including the external clitoris, inner and outer labia, the vaginal opening, and the mons pubis—these are the areas where you can get a “vagina piercing.” Below, three professional body piercers—Elayne Angel, a piercer who specializes in nipple and genital piercing and the author of The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing, and Minnesota-based body piercers Cole Radermache and Jack Kalvser with Leviticus Body Piercing—explain the different types of vaginal piercings. There are many! An aesthetics-driven piercing with a lengthy healing time of six to nine months, many genital piercers, including Angel, advise against this piercing. “It can be a hindrance to frontal sex for many months, and maybe even permanently,” she says. Of course, if you’re determined to get it, there’s always doggy-style. “Sometimes folks have asymmetric inner lips and can only get one side pierced; other times both are too short.” Although typically an ornamental piercing, an outer labia piercing can add to sexual pleasure, according to Angel. “If it’s placed next to the clitoris, it may stimulate the clitoris from a side angle,” and if it’s placed closer to the vaginal opening, it may rub against a penis or finger during penetrative intercourse, she says. “The clitoris has 8,000 to 10,000 nerve ends, so if the piercing rubs up against the clit, it can be incredibly pleasurable,” explains Marla Renee Stewart, a pleasure-based sex educator and sexologist with Velvet Lips Sex Down South. And because most vulva owners climax through clitoral stimulation (not vaginal penetration), “a vaginal piercing can make orgasming easier or even happen at all,” she says. Davia Frost, a sex educator with a VCH piercing, says it has made masturbation and oral sex especially pleasurable. “I’m more easily able to have a squirting orgasm,” she adds. But even more, decorative piercings can result in boosted pleasure vis-à-vis boosted confidence. Stewart explains, “Getting a genital piercing can make someone feel more in charge of their sexuality and more confident in their body, and that can result in someone feeling more comfortable being naked, asking for what they want in bed, and experimenting.” Makes sense, considering research shows a person’s genital self-image is tied to their sexual functioning: Feeling more confident about how you look down there makes you more likely to have an easy time getting turned on and having orgasms. But be prepared for some unintended consequences: Frost says, “For the first two years I had it, every time I walked, I felt like I was going to have an orgasm.” RELATED: What’s The Connection Between Pleasure & Your Well-Being? Allow Us To Explain OB-GYN Felice Gersh, M.D., says, “This would cause intense trauma to tissue. And could cause bleeding, scarring, and the tear can expose tissue which can then become infected,” she says. The jewelry “catching” a condom or barrier is also possible though unlikely. Angel says rings won’t catch, and the decorative balls at the end of a barbell are smooth and unlikely to snag a condom. Frost says, “I’ve had the piercing for 10 years and never once has it torn the condom.” RELATED: An Expert’s Guide To Clit Piercings: Procedure, Risks, & Photos The right piercer will have an in-depth understanding of anatomy and will know how to perform the procedure without damaging any nerves, says Angel. “Because what piercing you get is often driven by your anatomy, they’ll be able to have an in-depth conversation with you about what piercing makes sense for your vulva,” she says. If you’re not convinced your piercer knows what they’re doing or understands your anatomy, leave. You want to make sure that the place that is administering the piercings is clean and that the needles and jewelry are sterile, Bickman says. “This reduces the risk of infection with a blood-borne pathogen like HIV or hepatitis.” An allergic reaction to the metal used is another possible risk. It’s pretty obvious, but if you have a metal allergy, don’t put that metal in your bits. Bickman recommends using titanium or stainless steel. As a general rule, clitoral piercings and Princess Alberta piercings are more painful than labia piercings. But “everyone’s anatomy and pain tolerance is different, so it varies person to person,” Radermacher says. Frost, who got her piercing done with her friend, says, “I have a high pain tolerance, and for me it just felt like a pinch. But my friend passed out on the table.” “I’ve had a lot of piercings, and this one is a piece of cake,” another person with a VCH piercing tells mbg. “In two seconds it was over.” “All the piercings require the same type of care as they heal,” says Angel. This includes: Body jewelry isn’t going to set off a metal detector, so you don’t have to take it out before flying. She says you’ll want to wear skivvies after the “procedure” to reduce friction and irritation; you can wear a panty liner to keep from staining. Or just wear your period panties. However, barrier use after getting a vaginal piercing is nonnegotiable. Even if you and your partner are monogamous or fluid-bonded, you want to avoid contact with your partner’s body fluids while it heals, says Angel. And that includes their spit: “Saliva has a lot of bacteria in it, so you need to avoid getting it going near the piercing while it heals,” she says. So for oral sex you’re going to want to use a dental dam—which, FYI, feel less awkward if you apply a little lube to both sides. “After intercourse, be sure to follow the cleaning protocols,” says Bickman. Then you have to purchase the jewelry, which usually brings the total cost to at least $120. More if you opt for gold or platinum. Nowadays many piercers use social media to show off their work. “Seeing healed photos is huge,” says Radermacher. Don’t hesitate to look peak at any photo galleries they might have on the website to see if you like their final results and read what other people are saying. But if you’re serious about getting a vagina piercing, Radermacher and Klavser say actually visiting a shop is the best way to see a piercer’s portfolio of healed work. Next, the piercer will help you select jewelry. Then you’ll head to the private room and remove your lower clothes. “The piercer will wash their hands, set up their equipment, put on gloves and then prep the area with iodine or other surgical scrub before marking the placement,” she says. Depending on which piercing you’re getting, the piercer use clamps, a freehand technique, or a receiving tube. Then you’re pierced. “The piercing should be very brief, then the jewelry should follow into the channel quickly and smoothly,” says Angel. At this point, the piercer will likely apply a cooling, soothing saline pad, which minimizes stinging. Often piercers will pierce it with a longer post or wider diameter, to allow for swelling. “We’ll have you come back in a few weeks or months later for a checkup appointment and to downsize the jewelry,” Radermacher and Kalvser add. Angel says that you usually don’t have to shave first, though if you’re getting a Christina piercing, you may choose to do so. Just be sure you understand the potential risks associated with piercing your vagina and extensively research the process beforehand. Also, make sure to follow the proper cleaning and healing protocols to reduce the chance of getting an infection.
