Misplaced Pages

Clitoris piercing
Location	Clitoral glans
Jewelry	Captive bead ring, barbell

A clitoris piercing is a genital piercing placed directly through the head (glans) of the clitoris itself. It is a relatively uncommon piercing by choice because of the potential for nerve damage, and because many may find it too stimulating to allow the constant wearing of a small ring or barbell. Most piercing studios will refuse to do a clitoral piercing. It is often confused with the more common clitoral hood piercing, which pierces only the hood covering the clitoral glans, allowing the jewelry to make only occasional contact with the most sensitive area.

General

Depending on the anatomy of the individual, a clitoris piercing can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. The clitoris is endowed with a very high concentration of nerve endings, and like male genital piercings which penetrate the glans penis, clitoral piercings can be extremely sexually stimulating when subjected to gentle manipulation, or vibration. Thus, they have popularity in certain BDSM cultures, where small heavy ornaments are often fitted to increase the sensation.

Piercer Elayne Angel stated that of the "very small number of women who genuinely desire a clitoris piercing (rather than the more common clitoral hood piercing), 90 to 95 percent are not suitably built to accommodate jewelry through the clitoral head." The piercee must have a large enough clitoris to prevent piercing migration and subsequent loss because a slightly thicker gauge of jewelry is usually used to prevent the 'cheese-cutter' effect if it becomes caught on clothing, or is pulled too hard during sexual activity.

History and culture

This piercing is of contemporary origin and is uncommon. In 1989, piercer Jim Ward, interviewed by Andrea Juno in Modern Primitives, stated "I've been in the business for over 10 years and I haven't done more than half a dozen clit piercings."

Jewelry

Both captive bead rings and barbell style jewelry can be worn in this piercing, both as initial jewelry and in the long term.

Gallery

• Two clitoris piercings with captive bead rings along with a Christina piercing
• A vertical clitoris piercing with a barbell on after a labiaplasty (labia minora and clitoral hood removed)

References

1. ^ Pitts-Talyor, Victoria (2008). Cultural Encyclopedia of the Body. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0313341458. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
2. "Everything you need to know about clit piercings". Cosmopolitan. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
3. Angel, Elayne (2009). The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing (1st ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Celestial Arts. ISBN 978-1-58091-193-1.
4. Vale, V.; Juno, Andrea, eds. (1989). Modern primitives: An Investigation of Contemporary Adornment and Ritual (10.  ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Re/Search Publications. p. 162. ISBN 0-940642-14-X.

Further reading

• Modern Primitives. V. Vale, 1989. Re/Search Publications. ISBN 0-940642-14-X

This body modification article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Female genital piercings
• Clitoris
• Body modification stubs