If you were asked to describe the typical man who gets a genital piercing – that’s a GP in body modification lingo – what would you say? A young punk deeply into death-metal and BDSM? A middle-aged biker? A hard-living, drug-addicted artist involved in dubious fringe subcultures?
Well, you’d be completely wrong. In most of our minds the idea of a guy having his member punctured and decorated with jewelry conjures up stereotypes of various cultural outsiders and deviants, but a recent study by researchers from Texas Tech University shows that that perception is about as wrong as it could possibly be.
According to the study, the average man with a GP is white, straight, 36 years old, in excellent health, middle class, married or in a monogamous relationship, non-smoking or drug-using and college-educated. Your neighbour, basically. Who would have thought!
Commenting on this rather unexpected result, Professor Alden Roberts, one of the researchers, said: “if you look at the data, these men are not much different from the general population.” The scientists analysed online questionnaires completed by 445 men from 26 countries, ranging in age from 15 to 72, who had a total of 656 GPs between them.
But pierced how, exactly?
So what are the most popular kinds of GPs? Here’s the break-down (and if you don’t know what these different types are, get educated here):
- Prince Albert: 56%
- Frenum or Frenum Ladder: 36%
- Hafada: 10%
- Apadravya: 10%
- Ampallang: 8%
- Guice: 7%
- Dydoe: 6%
- Foreskin: 6%
- Other: 9%
But why?
The most common reasons given by participants in the survey for having their pricks pricked are rather inane. Fully 90% said that they got a GP because they “just wanted one” and 60% did it simply “for the heck of it”. Other common reasons included “trying to feel sexier”, gaining “more control over” one’s body and “seeking uniqueness”.
And the outcomes?
So are the men happy with their intimate piercings? Yes, for the most part:
- 93% said they would do it again;
- 81% said that it improved their sexual pleasure;
- 71% believe it helped them express their sexuality;
- 67% stated that it made them feel unique;
- 67% claimed it improved their partner’s sexual pleasure; and
- 64% think it helped their genitals look better.
There were some negatives, too, of course:
- 25% of the participants reported a change in urinary flow;
- 5% experienced problems using condoms (go figure!); and
- 10% said that their partners refused to have sex with them after the piercing.
More info about male genital piercings
Intrigued? Find out more about male genital piercings and other ways in which men prettify their most valued asset here.
(Andrew Luyt, Health24, September 2010)