Genital piercing is very popular in gay culture.  Whilst most of us will have heard of the Prince Albert, but do you know exactly what it is?  And how about the Apadravya, the Ampallang, the Magic Cross and the Frenum ladder?  Well we’ve put together a quick guide to male genital piercings.

 

The piercings covered in this guide are:

Prince Albert - Apadravya - Ampallang - Magic cross - Dydoe - Zephyr - King’s crown - Frenum - Frenum ladder - Havada - Guiche - Guiche ladder 

Prince Albert

The Prince Albert is the most commonly known genital piercing.  It is a single piercing in the underside of the penis from where the shaft meets the glans through to the urethra inside the penis.  Then an item of jewellery is inserted into the urethra so that it enters through the pierced hole and comes out through the ‘eye’ at the end of  the penis.  The jewellery is normally a curved barbell, a captive bead ring, a circular barbell or a prince’s wand.

The Prince Albert can enhance sexual pleasure for the wearer, as well as the recipient as the beads on the jewellery can stimulate the anus and prostate.  You need to have a sufficiently thick item of jewellery - too thin and you can tear your penis  (known as the ‘cheesewire effect’).

The Prince’s wand works slightly differently.  The wand is hollow with a removable bead on the end another threaded bead on the side.  The prince’s wand is inserted into the urethra, then an external bead is screwed into the wand through the pierced hole in the penis.  When the wearer needs to piss he can remove another bead in the end of the wand and pee through the hollow tube of the wand.

Did you know?

* The Prince Albert heals quickly - sometimes just 2-4 weeks.
* Your piss stream may spray and you may have to sit to pee.
* If the practitioner pierces just to the side of the frenulum it isn’t too painful.
* There is a female version - the Princess Albertina

Apadravya

The apadravya is a vertical piercing that enters through the centre of the upperside of the glans, through the urethra, and exits through the penis underside where the glans meets the shaft (the same place as the Prince Albert).  The jewellery used is a straight barbell, making sure it is big enough to accommodate the erection.  Because this piercing passes through the glans tissue it can heighten sexual pleasure considerably.

Did you know?

* The apadravya passes through the sensitive glans, and is going to hurt!
* It can take 6 months to heal.
* The double beads enhance sexual pleasure for the sexual partners too.
* It is known as the ‘happydravya’ and is even mentioned in the Kama Sutra!

Ampallang

The ampallang is like the apadravya, except the piercing is horizontal across the glans instead of vertically through it.  Again, a straight barbell is used.

Did you know?

* The ampallang can also be made through the shaft of the penis - known as a shaft ampallang.
* The Magic Cross is a combination of the apadravya and the ampallang - not done in one sitting!

Dydoe

The dydoe uses a small curved barbell to pierce through the ridge of the glans and into the adjacent shaft.  It is normally for circumcised guys only due to the foreskin getting in the way and preventing healing.  Normally either one dydoe is present at the vertical top of the penis where the glans meets the shaft, or there are two dydoes - each symmetrically either side of the top of the penis.

 

 

Did you know?

* A King’s Crown is when several dydoes are present.
* Dydoes are also popular with straight guys as the beads are very stimulating in vaginal sex.
* A deep piercing that exits closer to the tip of the glans (with a longer barbell) is known as a Zephyr.

Frenum

A frenum piercing is  a piercing of the frenulum - the skin on the underside of penis that connects the glans to the shaft.  It is nearly always horizontal (across the penis) and the jewellery used is either barbells or rings. 

Did you know?

* Frenum piercings heal fast - just 2 to 5 weeks
* A series of frenum piercings up the underside of the shaft of the penis is known as a frenum ladder.

Hafada piercing

A hafada piercing is a piercing of the scrotum.  Normally a hafada or scrotal piercing is a small piercing through a fold of the loose skin of the scrotum, with a ring, captive bead ring or barbell.

Did you know?

* Hafada piercings are quick to heal and not very painful
* A series of hafada piercings can be an extension of a frenum or guiche ladder

Guiche

The guiche is a piercing of the perineum - thats the curved mound between the scrotum and the anus.  Normally a barbell or a captive bead ring is used, and it is usual for the direction of the piercing to be horizontal - ie across the vertical axis of the body.

 

 

Did you know?

* A line of guiches is known as a guiche ladder (this can be an extension of a frenum ladder).
* A guiche is closer to the anus, so cleanliness is important after a guiche piercing to prevent infection.

 

(c) Copyright 2012.  All rights reserved.

 I once saw the richly talented Shirley Maclaine in her one woman show at London’s Dominion theatre.  Gay men have consistently relished the appeal of Shirley Maclaine - actor, writer, singer and truth-seeker extroardinaire.

Now well into her seventies, Maclaine has hung up her dancing shoes and resides in New Mexico, whose landscape she finds congenial to meditation, or “sageing” as she calls it. She admits even her friends think her “wacky”, but her memoirs are an energy blast as she recalls former lives in Atlantis, and discusses star-beings …..and that means extraterrestrials, not showbiz pals!  So, just open your mind as we welcome this very special guest aboard. Read the rest of this entry »

Gay people have not always felt well served by the pioneering psychology of Carl Gustav Jung ( 1875- 1961 ) who came to take a radically different path to the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud, which embraced the wider realm of faith and religion, alchemy and mysticism. He viewed the goal of life with the insights of his system of analytical psychology as a process of individuation towards wholeness.

From a Jungian perspective, it is essential to have the courage to fully accept ourselves as gay individuals, so coming out properly is a most important step towards wholeness. Jung’s approach to homosexuality was one of social acceptance and tolerance: being gay did not in any way devalue anyone as a member of society, and he was against any laws being passed against it. He also recognised that homoseuality was a part of all times and cultures worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »

To be young was once highly prized on the gay scene, but a whole generation has reached maturity since the first performance of the musical ‘Hair’ announced the dawn of a new age of peace, love,  and beneficent social revolution. By 2017 in the UK, there will be more of us over 65 than children under 5, for the first time. Where is the gay population heading with its wealth of accumulated experience, and how can we get the best out of this braver, newer society? Read the rest of this entry »

As a gay man I’ve held a long fascination and attachment to James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon (first published in 1933), and I want to examine its deeper meaning for me (and for us as gay people), apart from any literary merit it may possess. The book has enjoyed huge popularity over the years, boosted by major film adaptations, but, as far as I know, no one has looked at it in this way until now. Read the rest of this entry »