Piercing Screams

Here’s an interesting item from Monday’s LA Times:

Most men with genital piercings don’t fit the usual stereotypes

Most men with genital piercings don’t fit into the usual stereotype of bikers, druggies or Goths, researchers said Monday. In fact, most who responded to a survey are nearly middle-aged, middle class married men, according to an online study performed by researchers from Texas Tech University.

Anybody that hangs out in the sex blog world could have told you that.

But what you might not have discovered is a bit more squicky:

Men report many reasons for piercings, including increased sexual satisfaction, a need for rebellion and a desire for risk-taking. But they also endure a variety of complications, particularly infections and bleeding. About a quarter of men report that they have to urinate sitting down because urine sprays in all directions through the piercings. Other reported complications have included priapism (uncomfortably sustained erections), bleeding after sex, gangrene and loss of jewelry in female partners.

Losing a ring or a stud inside your partner? Oh my. Not that I was considering a PA anyway, but geez…

Although I usually doubt the statistical validity of self-selected surveys, it’s interesting to see the results, posted in the British Journal of Medical Practitioners.

• Among those who responded, the average man was 31 years old, white, heterosexual, college educated and earned more than $36,000 per year.
• 89% identified themselves as Caucasians;
• 41% were married and another 20% lived with a significant other;
• 56% reported a salary of more than $45,000 per year;
• 28% said they had a strong religious faith;
• 82% said they were heterosexual;
• 87% said they didn’t use drugs;
• 74% said they had at least some college, and 20% had a graduate or doctoral degree.
• Many of the respondents said they had solicited advice from piercers and the Internet before obtaining their piercings.

I read through the BJMP report, and oddly, I did not find “Needed to use it with a chastity device” listed as one of the reasons.