One of my favourite erotic novels featured a piercing scene where a sub was pierced and fitted with tiny gold rings in her labia that were then threaded with gold chain and padlocked so she could be locked up. Many people find this idea hot and I can understand why having that option would be a huge turn on for both parties. Denial play is a big kink for both men and women and there is a roaring trade in both chastity cages and belts.

Now I know at least 2 people with clit piercings, I probably know more, but I’m far too polite to go around asking. These friends are happy to talk openly about their piercings. One friend had it done for aesthetic reasons but once done she found she enjoyed the extra stimulation she got during sex.

Ironically another friend had it done to gain extra stimulation and found it just got in the way. A seperate friend would love to be locked up by her Dom, in the way described above, and be able to hand him the key, they would both enjoy the power exchange involved.

So there are many reasons why a woman may choose to have her genitals pierced.

What does the law have to say

However, in the UK this would be classed as Female Genital Mutilation and as such is illegal. Yep, it’s technically illegal to have your genitalia pierced in the UK.

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Under Section One of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 It is a criminal offence to excise, infibulate or otherwise mutilate the whole or any part of a girl’s labia majora, labia minora or clitoris.

It is an offence under Section Two if a person aids, abets, counsels or procures a girl to excise, infibulate or otherwise mutilate the whole or any part of her own labia majora, labia minora or clitoris. (So Doms are also culpable)

Now you could argue that a piercing is not a mutilation, but as the legal definition used by the Crown Prosecution Service is the definition given by the World Health Organisation, you’d be wrong (In the eyes of the law).

They define 4 types of FGM:

• Type I: Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris;
• Type II: Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora;
• Type III: Infibulation: narrowing of the virginal opening through the creation of a covering seal:
• Type IV: Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area. As you can see Type IV specifically mentions piercing. Bummer for piercing fans.

You may question the need for such laws in the UK, surely this barbaric practice is not rife in the UK? Well no, it isn’t. It is however still prevalent in much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. There are 200 MILLION women and girls affected by this practice in over 30 countries in these areas.

With the UK becoming more and more diverse there is the chance that these ‘traditions’ may be continued in communities within the UK where there is a strong cultural history of FGM

What makes people commit FGM?

Which brings us to the reasons why FGM is committed at all, basically the motivations for FGM can be divided into 3 categories.

Societal convention

Where FGM is a social convention, the social pressure to conform to what others do and have been doing, as well as the need to be accepted socially and the fear of being rejected by the community, are strong motivations to perpetuate the practice. In some societies where FGM is practiced it is considered a cultural tradition, and can be seen as completely normal and unquestioned.

Religious

Though no religious scripts prescribe the practice, practitioners often believe the practice has religious support. Many of the leaders in the community will cite religious reasons for perpetuating this practice.

Cultural ideas about how women should look and behave

FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered acceptable sexual behaviour. It aims to ensure premarital virginity and marital fidelity. FGM is in many communities believed to reduce a woman’s libido and therefore believed to help her resist extramarital sexual acts. When a vaginal opening is covered or narrowed, the fear of the pain of opening it, and the fear that this will be found out, is expected to further discourage extramarital sexual intercourse among women.

Where it is believed that being cut increases marriageability, FGM is more likely to be carried out. FGM is also associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful after removal of body parts that are considered unclean, unfeminine or male.

The damage is causes

The damage done to the victims of this practice is horrendous, in the immediate aftermath they may have to cope with severe pain, blood loss, swelling, fever, infection, urinary problems, shock and it is not unusual for victims to die during or following the ‘procedure’

In the longer term they have further complications, urinary, vaginal and menstrual problems (pain and difficulty passing waste), scar tissue, sexual problems, increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths, need for later surgeries and last but not least the psychological trauma.

I would love to live in a world where these laws weren’t necessary. Where this utterly sickening practice doesn’t exist at all: it makes me so angry and utterly disgusted that it does.

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So although it’s frustrating that the law does not differentiate between the horror of Female Genital Mutilation and the choice to have a genital piercing for personal reasons. I am happy that the law is in place, to protect the vulnerable who may one day need it. I urge my friends to be aware of the line they cross when getting a new piercing but also to spare a thought as to why that law is necessary.

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