Labia piercing

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The two lower piercings are in this woman's labia. The uppermost piercing is a clitoral hood piercing.

Labia piercings are a type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in symmetrical pairs. Like all genital piercings, depending on jewelery and placement, they may provide additional stimulation to one or both partners during sexual intercourse.

[edit] Outer labia

Labia majora piercings heal more slowly than labia minora piercings, depending on the anatomy of the individual. They also tend to be more painful as there is more tissue to pierce through. Stretching of labia minora piercing may occur on its own, but more likely would have to be a manual process.

[edit] Jewelry

Almost any type of jewelry can be found in labia piercings, although rings are the most commonly used jewelry, both as initial jewelry, and on a long-term basis. Both types of labia piercings can be stretched to accommodate large jewelry; the wearing of heavy jewelry in these piercings may be a form of ongoing or temporary sexual stimulation. Both types can also be stretched to accommodate flesh tunnel or plug style jewelry.

Jewelry worn in labia piercings may have a fetish purpose. Rings or other specialised jewelry may be worn to occlude access to the vagina, as a form of short-term or long-term non-surgical infibulation. Other chastity devices might also be worn that make use of the piercing, sometimes incorporating locks.

[edit] History and culture

There is little direct evidence of pre-contemporary practice of labia piercings, outside of anecdotal reports of the use of these piercings as chastity devices. Like many genital piercings, the contemporary origin of labia piercing resides in the BDSM culture that gave rise to the resurgence of body piercing in contemporary society. In contemporary practice, these piercings often simply fill a decorative role, rather than a purely sexual one.

This piercing plays a prominent role in the French erotic novel, "The Story of O". The heroine, O, has a hole pierced through a labium, through which a stainless-steel ring is inserted. Another ring is linked to it, and to that, a metal disk with identifying information on it, including the name of her Master, the mysterious Sir Stephen. In a scene at the end of the book, a leash is attached to the rings, which is held by a young girl when O is presented to the guests at the Commodore's party, for so that they can examine, admire, and have sex with her.

[edit] See also

• Body piercing