Don’t ‘choke’ it
Penises, rings, beads, piercings, ball bearings – all the ingredients of a ball buster...
LET’S all try singing along to the tune of Beyoncé’s hit single, Single Ladies, especially the part that goes: “Don’t be mad once you see that he want it; If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it...”
And for guys who are closely related to Homo erectus, the “it” in the lyrics here means the ring finger, not the appendage below your waist.
Yes, it’s that kind of a story.
The spate of news reports about men’s creative use of various circular objects to “enhance” sexual performance is, to say the least, unsettling.
Take, for example, the 20-something-year-old man stuck with a ball bearing device on his penis (pronounced pee-ness)
for more than 12 hours. He is believed to have used the gadget to add pleasure and prolong his erection.
Fortunately for him, firemen were able to remove the device, believed to be from a pool pump, in time to avoid his penis from going 50 Shades of Grey.
Mechanics of an erection
An erection occurs in response to stimulation, either physical or psychological.
This results in some blood vessels and smooth muscles in the lower region to relax and/or expand, increasing blood flow to spongy tissues in the penis.
The penis, which becomes engorged with blood, thus becomes erect.
When the erection ends, blood flows out and the penis returns to its flaccid state.
You are essentially choking the penis by using a ring of some sort placed around the base of the penile shaft.
This causes a blockage in the veins draining the penis, leading to swelling, and prevents blood from flowing out of the penis.
Some men feel that this will improve “performance” and bring greater satisfaction to their partners.
However, “choking” the penis for too long can bring severe pain. And, if not removed, the ring can cause death of penile tissues, i.e. gangrene of the penis, which basically means death of penile tissue.
According to consultant urologist Dr George Lee, penis rings were used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in the 1960s.
“It is an old-fashioned treatment. Today, we would rather use medicine to treat ED,” he said.
Getting creative
In essence, what the 12-hour man was trying to do with the ball bearing device was to make it function like a penis ring.
Penis rings are also called cock rings, tension bands or ED rings, to name a few.
The ED ring works by slowing the flow of blood back from the penis to help maintain an erection.
It is placed around the base of the penile shaft.
Most ED rings are made of flexible material like rubber, silicone or plastic, although there are also some made of metal.
These rings can also be used together with a pump or vacuum device. The purpose of the vacuum device is to “pull” blood into the penis via the vacuum created.
There are even rings that have two additional rings that fit around the testicles – what for? Haven’t the faintest clue.
Whatever the reason, these rings must be used (if at all) with care and caution as “choking” the penis too tightly or using it for prolonged periods can cause penile or scrotal tissue damage.
There is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these devices.
Furthermore, if you combine the ED ring with a vacuum pump, be aware that overzealous pumping may result in blisters or damage to penile tissue.
Generally, men should stay well clear of such devices. If you really, really have to use one, then the plastic or rubber ones should be your pick.
The metal ones? You’re asking for trouble if you use those.
Remember, any erection that lasts more than four hours should be treated as soon as possible.
Why go through all the trouble?
What’s with all this fiddling around, you might ask?
Well, apparently, it’s all in the name of providing sexual satisfaction to their partners or “enhancing” their sense of masculinity. For example, there are even men who implant round pellets or nodules made of plastic or metal in the penis.
A study by Dr Romeo Lee of the De La Salle University in Manila, the Philippines, looked at the phenomenon of implanting such nodules.
The study found that as many as six such pellets may be placed in one penis.
It also noted that these pellets had complications. Some men experienced “biting, deep and throbbing pain” in their penis, while others suffered penile inflammation.
Women whose partners had such pellets implanted complained of pain, rashes, wounds, bleeding, pus or inflammation in their vagina.
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2010 entitled “Implantation of Artificial Penile Nodules – A Review of Literature”, found that the average age of a person who had nodules implanted was 25.47 years, with the average number of beads implanted was 2.71.
The study noted that there was a higher risk of sexually-transmitted diseases in such men.
Another point made in the study was that the incidence and severity of early or delayed complications were unknown, but are probably under-reported.