Prince Albert (genital piercing)
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The Prince Albert (PA) is a penis piercing which extends from the urethra to the underside of the glans.<ref name="winks2002">Winks, Cathy; Semans, Anne (2002). The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex: The Most Complete Sex Manual Ever Written, p. 274. Cleis Press, Template:ISBN</ref> It is one of the most common male genital piercings.<ref name="ageg">Gage, Simon; Richards, Lisa; Wilmot, Howard; and Boy George (2002). QueerTemplate:Dead link, p. 159. Da Capo Press, Template:ISBN</ref> The related reverse Prince Albert piercing enters through the urethra and exits through a hole pierced in the top of the glans.<ref name="komisaruk">Komisaruk, Barry R.; Whipple, Beverly; Nasserzadeh, Sara; Beyer-Flores, Carlos (2009). The Orgasm Answer Guide, p. 118. JHU Press, Template:ISBN</ref>
While some piercers may choose to avoid the nerve bundle that runs along the center of the frenulum altogether, others may choose otherwise.<ref name="mademan">Template:Cite web</ref> The piercing can be centred if the bearer is circumcised. Otherwise, the piercing must be done off-centre so that the surrounding skin can reposition itself.<ref name="Angel2009">Angel, Elayne (2009). The Piercing Bible, pp. 156–159. Random House, Template:ISBN</ref>
Procedure
[edit]The piercer usually starts by pushing a metal or glass tube down the urethra, or using their fingers to hold the urethra open. The piercer then pushes the needle through the skin beside the frenulum, guiding it into the receiving tube. The chosen jewellery is pushed through the freshly made hole and secured in place depending on the jewellery used.<ref name="metro">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Better source needed
Despite expectations of pain, the Prince Albert piercing is frequently cited to be one of the less painful piercings.
Healing and potential side effects
[edit]The Prince Albert healing time can take from 4 weeks<ref name="Angel2009"/> to 6 months.<ref name="ageg" /> A fresh PA piercing may cause bleeding, swelling and inflammation.<ref name="decuyper2010">De Cuyper, Christa; Cotapos, Maria Luisa (2010). Dermatologic Complications with Body Art: Tattoos, Piercings and Permanent Make-Up, p. 47. Springer, Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="aaron1999">Aaron, Michele (1999). The body's perilous pleasures: dangerous desires and contemporary culture, p. 170 Edinburgh University Press, Template:ISBN</ref> In rare cases, it can lead to local infections.<ref name="richens2004"> Richens, John (2004). Other conditions of the male genital tract commonly seen in sexually transmitted infection clinics. In Adler, Michael W.; Cowan, Frances ABC of sexually transmitted infections, p. 21. John Wiley and Sons, Template:ISBN</ref> Some men find that the dribble caused by the PA when urinating necessitates sitting down to urinate.<ref name="stark2008">Stark, John; Hopkins, Will; Baumann, Mary K. (2008). The Dictionary of Love, p. 218. HarperCollins, Template:ISBN</ref> With practice, some men can control the stream while standing.<ref name="Hudson2009">Hudson Karen L. (2009). Living Canvas: Your Total Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Body Modification, p. 180. Seal Press, Template:ISBN</ref>
Some PA wearers report it enhances sexual pleasure for both partners.<ref name="winks2002"/> However, others penetrated by males with this piercing report discomfort.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PA rings can cause additional discomfort to female partners in cases when the penis comes into contact with the cervix.<ref name="vale1989">Vale, V.; Juno, Andrea (1989). Modern primitives: an investigation of contemporary adornment & ritual. Re/Search Publications, Template:ISBN</ref> Sexual partners of those with piercings may experience complications during oral sex such as chipped teeth, choking, foreign bodies getting stuck between the partner's teeth, and mucosal injury to receptive partners.<ref name="greenberg">Greenberg, Michael I. (2005). Greenberg's text-atlas of emergency medicine, p. 448. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Template:ISBN</ref>
As with many piercings, there is a risk of the jewelry becoming caught on clothing and being pulled or torn out.<ref name="mademan"/> Very large gauge or heavy jewelry can cause thinning of the tissue between the urethral opening and the healed fistula, resulting in accidental tearing or other complications with sexual experiences.<ref name=pmid22054364>Template:Cite journal</ref> Conversely, extremely thin jewelry can cause the same tearing in what is commonly referred to as the "cheese cutter effect", either during sudden torsion or over a long period of wearing, especially if the thin jewelry bears any weight.<ref name="Angel2009"/>
Jewelry
[edit]Template:See also Prince Albert piercings are typically pierced at either 12 or 10g (2 or 2.5mm)<ref name="Angel2009"/> or up to 5mm (4g) or a safe maximum of 6mm (2g). They are often (gradually) stretched soon after, with jewelry within the 8g to 00g (3mm to 8mm) range being the most popular. One of the reasons not to perform the initial piercing at a small diameter (16g or 14g) or otherwise to immediately stretch it to 10g or 8g using a taper is to prevent the 'cheese-cutter effect',<ref name="Angel2009"/> although personal preference and individual anatomy also play a role in these decisions.Template:Citation needed
Further stretching to sizes 0 or 00g (8 or 9mm) and larger is not fairly common.<ref name="Angel2009"/> This may be due to a lack of jewellery options in the 1g (7mm) size, leaving a large jump between 2g (6mm) and 0g (8mm). If a sufficiently heavy barbell or ring is worn continuously, a mild form of 'auto-stretching' can be observed.<ref name="Angel2009"/> This means that stretching to a larger gauge is easier and might not require a taper.Template:Citation needed. While stretching, it's critical that there is 12 mm of tissue between the piercing hole and urethra to avoid splitting of the urethra with complications.
While most wearers find that PAs are comfortable to wear and rarely remove them, even during sex, some individuals have found that extremely large or heavy jewelry is uncomfortable to wear for long periods or interferes with the sexual functioning of the penis.Template:Citation needed
Jewelry suitably worn in a Prince Albert piercing includes the circular barbell, curved barbell, captive bead, segment ring, and the prince's wand. Curved barbells used for PA piercings are worn such that one ball sits on the lower side of the penis and the other ball sits at the urethral opening. This type of jewelry prevents discomfort that can come from larger jewelry moving around during daily wear.Template:Citation needed
History and culture
[edit]The origin of this piercing is unknown. Genital piercings appeared in the Kama Sutra as a way of enhancing sexual pleasure.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In modern times, the Prince Albert piercing was popularized by Jim Ward in the early 1970s.<ref name="ferguson1999">Template:Cite journal</ref> In West Hollywood, Ward met Richard Simonton (aka Doug Malloy) and Fakir Musafar. Malloy published a pamphlet in which he concocted fanciful histories of genital piercings in particular.<ref name="Angel2009history">Angel, Elayne (2009). The Legacy of Doug Malloy. In The Piercing Bible, p. 16. Random House, Template:ISBN</ref> These apocryphal tales—which included the notion that Albert, the Prince Consort invented the piercing that shares his name in order to tame the appearance of his large penis in tight trousers—are widely circulated as urban legend. No historical proof of their veracity has been located independent of Malloy's assertions.<ref name="rutty">Rutty, Guy N. (2004). Essentials of autopsy practice: recent advances, topics and developments, p. 163. Springer, Template:ISBN</ref>
Like many other male genital piercings, it had a history of practice in gay male subculture in the twentieth century.<ref name=Porterfield>Template:Harv</ref> It became more prominently known when body piercing expanded in the late 1970s and was gradually embraced by popular culture.<ref name=Porterfield/>