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Line 1: {{short description\|Male genital piercing}} ~~[[Image:Prince_Albert_Piercing.jpg\|thumb\|200px\|right\|Curved barbell Prince Albert piercing]]~~ {{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2020}} The '''Prince Albert piercing''' ('''PA''') is a form of [[body piercing]]. The PA pierces the [[penis]] from the outside of the [[frenulum]] and into the [[urethra]]. There is also a '''reverse PA piercing''' which enters through the urethra and exits through a hole pierced in the top of the [[glans]]. The piercer uses a reception tube placed into the urethra to ensure needle exits. {{Infobox Piercing \| name = Prince Albert \| image = Prince Albert 8mm.jpg \| image_capt = A penis with a 8mm Prince Albert piercing \| nicknames = PA \| ___location = [[Urethra]] \| jewelry = [[barbell (piercing)\|Circular or curved barbell]], [[captive bead ring]], [[Prince's wand]], segment ring \| healing time = 4 weeks to 6 months }} The '''Prince Albert''' ('''PA''') is a [[penis piercing]] which extends from the [[urethra]] to the underside of the [[Glans penis\|glans]].<ref name="winks2002">Winks, Cathy; Semans, Anne (2002). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=naD9GP_sWMwC&pg=PA274 The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex: The Most Complete Sex Manual Ever Written]'', p. 274. Cleis Press, {{ISBN\|978-1-57344-158-2}}</ref> It is one of the most common male genital piercings.<ref name="ageg">Gage, Simon; Richards, Lisa; Wilmot, Howard; and Boy George (2002). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=FPHZbVhQQTUC&pg=PA159 Queer]{{Dead link\|date=February 2023 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}'', p. 159. Da Capo Press, {{ISBN\|978-1-56025-377-8}}</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">[[Barry Komisaruk\|Komisaruk, Barry R.]]; [[Beverly Whipple\|Whipple, Beverly]]; [[Sara Nasserzadeh\|Nasserzadeh, Sara]]; Beyer-Flores, Carlos (2009). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Kkts3AX9QVAC&pg=PA118 The Orgasm Answer Guide]'', p. 118. JHU Press, {{ISBN\|978-0-8018-9396-4}}</ref> A nerve bundle runs along the center of the frenulum. While some piercers may choose to avoid the bundle, others do not. The piercing may be centered if the bearer is [[Circumcision\|circumcised]]. Otherwise, the piercing will be done to the side because the skin in the area needs to be able to radically reposition itself. While some piercers may choose to avoid the nerve bundle that runs along the center of the [[Frenulum of prepuce of penis\|frenulum]] altogether, others may choose otherwise.<ref name="mademan">{{cite web\|url=http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-facts-about-prince-albert-piercing-procedure.html\|title=5 Facts About A Prince Albert Piercing Procedure\|author=Melissa Owens\|work=Made Man\|access-date=24 August 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831215758/http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-facts-about-prince-albert-piercing-procedure.html\|archive-date=31 August 2017\|url-status=dead}}</ref> The piercing can be centred if the bearer is [[Circumcision\|circumcised]]. Otherwise, the piercing must be done off-centre so that the surrounding skin can reposition itself.<ref name="Angel2009">Angel, Elayne (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=83sjmTPnz48C&pg=PA156 The Piercing Bible], pp. 156–159. Random House, {{ISBN\|978-1-58091-193-1}}</ref>[[File:PrinceAlbertpiercing.jpg\|200px\|thumb\|right]] The Prince Albert piercing is apparently named after [[Victoria of the United Kingdom\|Queen Victoria]]'s consort [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]]. It is alleged that he wore a ring attached to his penis which was then strapped to his thigh, in order to maintain the smooth line of the tight trousers that were in fashion at the time. It is very difficult to ascertain the validity of this story. No contemporary account of him adopting the practice has come to light, and many suspect that it was a myth invented by [[Doug Malloy]] who was chiefly responsible for popularising body piercing in the USA. (It has also been suggested that the name actually refers to Queen Victoria's grandson [[Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence\|Prince Albert Victor]]. This theory probably stems from attempts to link Prince Albert Victor with the [[Jack the Ripper]] murders) [[File:Scrotal_ladder.jpg\|Prince Albert piercing plus [[Hafada piercing\|scrotal ladder]] of BCRs, [[pubic piercing]] and tattoo.\|200px\|thumb\|right]] ==Procedure== The PA heals more quickly than most other piercings. Despite a popular belief that [[urine]] is infested with germs, a healthy person's urine is actually nearly sterile until it exits the body. Some believe that the frequent bathing of the piercing with (sterile) urine contributes to the healing process. Infections of Prince Alberts are relatively rare. Initial healing typically takes from one to two weeks, with full healing taking as much as nine months or more. 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">{{cite journal \|last1=Scott \|first1=Ellen \|title=What is a Prince Albert piercing? \|journal=Metro \|date=27 April 2018 \|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/04/27/prince-albert-piercing-7502229/ \|access-date=8 September 2022}}</ref>{{Better source needed\|date=September 2022}} Despite expectations of pain, the Prince Albert piercing is frequently cited to be one of the less painful piercings. Some men find that the dribble caused by the PA when urinating necessitates sitting down to urinate. This is not, as might be suspected, due to the hole made during piercing, but rather is caused by urine travelling along the surface of the jewellery. The effect may be exaggerated by different sizes and styles of jewellery. This is usually not a problem when using [[urinal]]s. ==Healing and potential side effects== Another common misconception is that the PA is a painful piercing because of the high concentration of nerves in the area. However, nerves are specialized in their function, so the high concentration of nerve cells does not prove a higher sensitivity to pain. Anecdotal reports from people with PAs are that it is not particularly painful, although psychological state, [[adrenaline]], and one's pain threshold all affect this judgment. 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). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=YvN3RYd_QPwC&pg=PA47 Dermatologic Complications with Body Art: Tattoos, Piercings and Permanent Make-Up],'' p. 47. Springer, {{ISBN\|978-3-642-03291-2}}</ref><ref name="aaron1999">Aaron, Michele (1999). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=5FGQkPr2-moC&pg=PA170 The body's perilous pleasures: dangerous desires and contemporary culture],'' p. 170 Edinburgh University Press, {{ISBN\|978-0-7486-0961-1}}</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 ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=NbCUkoDfhpcC&pg=PA21 ABC of sexually transmitted infections],'' p. 21. John Wiley and Sons, {{ISBN\|978-0-7279-1761-4}}</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). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=HrVJWGP5uFIC&pg=PA218 The Dictionary of Love],'' p. 218. HarperCollins, {{ISBN\|978-0-06-124213-7}}</ref> With practice, some men can control the stream while standing.<ref name="Hudson2009">Hudson Karen L. (2009). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=2_dXZt3lWn8C&pg=PA180 Living Canvas: Your Total Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Body Modification],'' p. 180. Seal Press, {{ISBN\|978-1-58005-288-7}}</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>{{cite web\|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/sex/comments/14raaf/has_anyone_ever_had_sex_with_someone_who_had_a/\|title=Has anyone ever had sex with someone who had a prince albert piercing? - Discussion\|website=reddit.com\|date=13 December 2012}}</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, {{ISBN\|978-0-940642-14-0}}</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). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=tjZttRRH8H8C&pg=PA448 Greenberg's text-atlas of emergency medicine]'', p. 448. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, {{ISBN\|978-0-7817-4586-4}}</ref> Prince Alberts are sometimes stretched to a 0 or 00 [[American wire gauge\|gauge]] i.e. about 11/32 inch (8 to 9 mm) diameter. Prince Alberts typically are pierced at either 12 or 10 gauge (2 to 2.6 mm). In the case of a 12 [[American wire gauge\|awg]] (2 mm) piercing, they are usually either immediately stretched, or stretched after partial or full healing. Outside of this initial stage, they are rarely seen below a 10 gauge (2.6 mm). Stretching to sizes of 6 to 4 gauge (4 to 5 mm) is probably most common. 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>{{cite journal \|vauthors=Nelius T, Armstrong ML, Rinard K, Young C, Hogan L, Angel E \|title=Genital piercings: diagnostic and therapeutic implications for urologists \|journal=Urology \|volume=78 \|issue=5 \|pages=998–1007 \|date=November 2011 \|pmid=22054364 \|doi=10.1016/j.urology.2011.05.066\|s2cid=44339720 }}</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"/> Very large gauge or heavy jewellry can cause stretching or tearing of the thin tissue between the urethral opening and the piercing hole creating a [[meatotomy]]. In some cases this can be corrected surgically. [[File:Prince Albert piercing with prince's wand jewelry.jpg\|thumb\|Prince Albert piercing with curved barbell jewelry]] Jewellery usually worn in a PA include the [[curved barbell]], [[captive bead]], and the [[Princes Wand\|Prince's Wand]]. Short curved barbells are usually about 3/8" or so length, so one ball sits on the lower side of the penis and the other ball sits at the urethral opening. This type of jewellery prevents discomfort that can come from larger jewellery moving around during daily wear.▼ [[File:Princeswandpenis.jpg\|thumb\|PA piercing with [[prince's wand]] jewelry]] [[File:4G Niobium Segment Ring in piercing Prince Albert.jpg\|thumb\|4g (5mm) segment ring in Prince Albert piercing]] == Jewelry == The Prince's Wand is a particularly unusual piece of jewellery. It consists of a hollow tube with a threaded cap at the end. The tube is inserted into the urethra, and a stem is inserted through the PA piercing and into another threaded hole on the side of the tube. The general shape is similar to a policeman's [[nightstick]]. The little side stem holds the tube in place. The threaded cap, often just a ball, can be removed so the wearer can urinate through the hollow tube without having to remove the jewellery. {{see also\|Prince's wand}} Prince Albert piercings are typically pierced at either 12 or 10[[Body jewelry sizes\|g]] (2 or 2.5mm)<ref name="Angel2009"/> or up to 5mm (4g) or a safe maximum of 6mm (2g). They are often (gradually) [[Stretching (body piercing)\|stretched]] soon after, with jewelry within the 8g to 00g (3mm to 10mm) 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 insertion pin\|taper]] is to prevent the 'cheese-cutter effect',<ref name="Angel2009"/> although personal preference and individual anatomy also play a role in these decisions.{{citation needed\|date=January 2017}} Further stretching to sizes 0 or 00g (8 or 10mm) 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 insertion pin\|taper]].{{citation needed\|date=January 2017}}. 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. ==External links==▼ * [http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/articles/ptafter/pa.html BMEzine Guide] * [http://www.body-piercing.com.au/body_piercing_guide/penis_piercing_guide.htm Body-Piercing Aus Guide] * [http://ukfetish.info/?article=174 UK Fetish Article]▼ * [http://www.abp.net.au/prince_a.htm another Australian Guide] * [http://www.piercedpleasures.net/experiences/princealbert2.html Pierced Pleasures guide] * [http://www.body-piercing.com.au/body_piercing_gallery/body_piercing_gallery_prince_albert_procedure.htm Graphic description and illustration of the operation] 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.{{citation needed\|date=January 2017}} [[Category:Genital piercings]]▼ [[sv:Prince Albert]]▼ ▲~~Jewellery~~Jewelry ~~usually~~suitably worn in a PAPrince ~~include~~Albert piercing includes the [[circular barbell]], [[curved barbell]], [[captive bead]], segment ring, and the [[~~Princes Wand\|Prince~~prince's ~~Wand~~wand]]. ~~Short curved~~Curved barbells ~~are~~used ~~usually~~for ~~about~~PA ~~3/8"~~piercings orare soworn ~~length,~~such sothat one ball sits on the lower side of the penis and the other ball sits at the urethral opening. This type of ~~jewellery~~jewelry prevents discomfort that can come from larger ~~jewellery~~jewelry moving around during daily wear.{{citation needed\|date=January 2017}} == History and culture == The origin of this piercing is unknown. Genital piercings appeared in the ''[[Kama Sutra]]'' as a way of enhancing sexual pleasure.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Laumann \|first1=Anne \|editor1-last=de Cuyper \|editor1-first=Christa \|editor2-last=Cotapos \|editor2-first=Maria Luisa \|title=Dermatologic Complications with Body Art: Tattoos, Piercings and Permanent Make-Up \|date=2009 \|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media \|isbn=978-3-642-03292-9 \|pages=4 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YvN3RYd_QPwC \|access-date=8 September 2022 \|chapter=1: History and Epidemiology of Tattoos and Piercings}}</ref> In modern times, the Prince Albert piercing was popularized by [[Jim Ward (body piercer)\|Jim Ward]] in the early 1970s.<ref name="ferguson1999">{{cite journal \| last1 = Ferguson \| first1 = Henry \| year = 1999 \| title = Body Piercing \| url= \| journal = [[British Medical Journal\|BMJ]] \| volume = 319 \| issue = 7225\| pages = 1627–9 \| pmid = 10600973 \| pmc = 1127091 \| doi = 10.1136/bmj.319.7225.1627 }}</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 [https://books.google.com/books?id=83sjmTPnz48C&pg=PA16 The Piercing Bible], p. 16. Random House, {{ISBN\|978-1-58091-193-1}}</ref> These apocryphal tales—which included the notion that [[Albert, Prince Consort\|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). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=DuNTznUH8ZkC&pg=PA163 Essentials of autopsy practice: recent advances, topics and developments]'', p. 163. Springer, {{ISBN\|978-1-85233-541-0}}</ref> Like many other male genital piercings, it had a history of practice in [[homosexuality\|gay]] male [[subculture]] in the twentieth century.<ref name=Porterfield>{{harv\|Porterfield \| 2003}}</ref> It became more prominently known when [[body piercing]] expanded in the late 1970s and was gradually embraced by [[popular culture]].<ref name=Porterfield/> == See also == * [[Genital piercing]] * [[Princess Albertina piercing]] ▲* [[~~sv:~~Reverse Prince Albert piercing]] == References == {{reflist}} ==Sources== <!--Porterfield-->{{cite book \|title=Religion and American Cultures: an Encyclopedia of Traditions, Diversity, and Popular Expressions \|volume=2 \|editor1=Gary Laderman \|editor2=Luis D. Leon \|last=Porterfield \|first=Amanda \|publisher=ABC-CLIO \|year=2003 \|isbn=1-57607-238-X }} ▲== External links == {{Commons category\|Prince Albert piercings}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20100305142709/http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Prince_Albert_Piercing Modification E-zine entry on Prince Albert piercings] * [http://www.bmezine.com/news/jimward/20040315-p.html Body Piercing in Brief] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516102150/http://www.bmezine.com/news/jimward/20040315-p.html \|date=16 May 2008 }}, text of Malloy/Ward pamphlet * [http://ukfetish.info/?article=117 UK Fetish Info: Getting a PA piercing] ▲* [http://ukfetish.info/?article=174 UK Fetish ~~Article~~Info: Living with a PA piercing] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080305184437/http://www.safepiercing.org/bodyAftercare.html Association of Professional Piercers' body piercing aftercare guidelines] {{Body Piercing}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Albert (Genital Piercing)}} ▲[[Category:~~Genital~~Penis piercings]] [[fr:Piercing génital masculin]]

Prince Albert (genital piercing): Difference between revisions