More Kink Play the Healthy Way
Our last feature with Dr. George on kink wellness did so well that we decided to do another with even more health advice about some of our most common sex practices and kinks as bears.
Before we get into it, George did mention that one of the most common-sense pieces of advice we can take onto ourselves is that if we are not feeling well- stay home! Skip the bear run or club night if you are feeling any kind of gastric or respiratory distress. It’s the easiest way to keep those around you safe and healthy from a variety of illnesses including COVID, the flu and shigella.
As good a piece of advice that is, however, airborne and communicable pathogens can be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexual health as you’ll see below…
Thanks as always to Dr. George Forgan-Smith for his candor, his non-judgmental demeanor and his practical and effective advice.
Using C*ck Rings
I’m not a fan of metal c*ck rings. One of my patients recently had to get an angle grinder to cut his metal c*ck ring off. If they’re too tight and they can’t come off, you’ve only got four hours before you literally lose the penis due to lack of blood flow. If you like the aesthetic of a metal c*ck ring, then consider wearing a bigger size, slightly looser. It’s going to make it easier to come off if it needs to. If you do get to a state of emergency and it’s not coming off, then you can take pseudoephedrine as a first aid measure to reverse erections. That’s one way to do it and that’s certainly what we teach people who use injectables to obtain erections. On that topic, never use cock injections with cock rings, particularly a metal c*ck ring. Also, big heavy c*ck rings can also pull on the testicles which could lead to an increase in the chance of hernias as well.
If you are going to use cock rings, I usually recommend you get the silicon or leather ones. In an emergency that can be cut off easily. There are companies that now sell magnetic cock rings. They can be a good alternative because they’re easier to get off too. There’s a nice big hole in there and you can pull it off quickly. The only trick with magnetic cock rings is to be aware that the magnets are really, really tight and you’ve got to make sure you don’t catch your skin in between the magnets because that will really hurt. Apart from that, it’s okay.
Docking
Docking is putting the head of the penis inside the foreskin of somebody else. The inner lining of the foreskin is quite delicate. It is really important to note that if there’s any damage to the inner lining of the foreskin, that it could lead to a transmission of a bloodborne STI, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, or HIV.
If the..ahem.. action is quite vigorous, or if there’s any obvious damage in the lining of the foreskin and someone ejaculates into it, there is a minor chance of transmission of chlamydia or gonorrhea.
The main thing here is to look after the foreskin. If you get damage to the foreskin that can develop scar tissue which will make the foreskin tight. It’s about going into it gently. Overall, docking is pretty safe. There’s a low likelihood of transmission of STI’s.
The skin to skin contact could lead to a transmission of herpes or HPV between people or a fungal infection, though if someone has a fungal infection it would generally be quite obvious and therefore the activity should be avoided. Docking in and of itself is pretty benign though.
Foot fetish
I’m always surprised that people practice foot fetishes at saunas. I couldn’t think of anything more potentially germ ridden place to do that, but hey…
Some people might have warts on their feet that can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, same applies to fungal infections. And cut those nails nice and short. Other than that, this is also a relatively safe practice to engage in.
Hardware
With any type of hardware around the penis. like genitalia jewelry, or a Prince Albert, there’s a chance that it’s gonna get caught on something. I hate to say it but when it comes to PA’s and f*cking I always think of them as a sh*t spoon. They’re really good at collecting poo. Taking off the PA can help reduce the collection of poo and UTI’s for the top.
As for the bottom, keep in mind that you don’t have pain receptors once you’ve passed an inch inside the bum. If the PA is causing issues with the lining of the rectum you might not necessarily know. Heavy extended f*cking with a PA could cause damage to the lining of the bum and it might be too late before you realize this.
If you’re engaging in deep oral sex and any gastric contents get onto the PA, that could cause some irritation at the site. And certainly, you can irritate the back of the throat as well.
Apart from that, just look after the piercings, keep them clean, take them out every now and then. Check the quality of your jewelry. You can get PA’s that have a rubber ball closure too, it makes it really easy to put the jewelry in and out. Good stuff.
Rimming and Parasites
There is always a chance of oral transmission of bugs from poo into your mouth during rimming that could lead to a transmission of Hepatitis A. Another issue is Shigella. Shigella is awful and you only need 20 bugs of shigella to get inside your body to get a full infection. Most people with good immune systems get a bit of diarrhea and it goes away, but for some people it can lead to extreme dehydration, bloody diarrhea, fevers – they can become very unwell. I would say maybe 50% of my patients with Shigella end up being admitted to hospital so they can get IV fluids. If you are feeling any sort of gastric distress/ diarrhea please stay home or at the very least do not engage in rimming.
Dr. George Forgan- Smith is an expert in gay men’s health dedicated to the bear, leather and kink communities which he serves faithfully in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to working at the Collins Street Medical Centre and creating tons of educational content for his social media accounts (links below), he is the creator of The Healthy Bear website which he uses to share vital health information pertaining to and about our community.
Stay in touch with Dr George and up to date on the latest in gay men’s health by signing up to his mailing list HERE.
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***Disclaimer: You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.
