Piercings have been a part of human nature for centuries, genital piercings are no different. Whether for pleasure, looks or function, they are an undeniable part of subculture.

Genital piercings are more common in men than women and for good reason. The piercings started as function and less for aesthetic or pleasure.

The Prince Albert piercing was used for securing a man’s penis to one side or the other. This piercing was used to avoid the unsightly bulge when men wore the tight court pants of the 18th century.

This gentleman’s piercing later became an aesthetically desirable piercing symbolizing class.

Once people began truly experimenting with women’s sexuality, the idea of piercing the clitoral hood came around. This piercing aided in clitoral stimulation. Which at the time was thought to cure many ailments. I would happen to agree with this sentiment of old doctors.

The history of genital piercings is long and their significance and meanings varied. But they still have a stronghold in modern times today.

Piercings can often be thought of as dirty. Piercings, once healed, are only as “dirty” as the person with it allows them to be. Piercings have been stigmatized for generations, it is time we let those ideas go.

Nose and ear piercings are as common as can be in today’s society. While these piercings don’t get stigmatized, genital piercings are. People who have these body modifications are thought of as strange or sexually deviant.

I would pose the question: What’s wrong with that? People who don’t fit the mold are thought of as strange or deviant. I’ve never seen a genital piercing “face-to-face,” and most people haven’t as they aren’t too common. But, if we do, we ought to be open-minded.

A piercing can only tell give a little taste about a person. Their lifestyle can’t necessarily be told through their modifications. So stigmatizing something so private seems foolish.

If something can make you feel sexier, give you more pleasure or make you feel like you can please your partner more, why not do it? Sex is an important part of human nature and denying that has been the downfall of many.

Men and women have been willing to do crazy things to make themselves more desirable. Botox, liposuction and penis enlargement seem like a typical day at the surgeon’s office. So getting a piercing seems like the least invasive of those options.

When it comes to genital piercings, I think they are something that, if you are interested in, give it a try. Find a reputable piercer and get your own personal “crazy” on.

Rachael Bayuk can be reached at [email protected] or @BayukRachael on Twitter.