Genital piercing increasing among Kumasi youth

Body piercings lined with ear rings and blinks appears to be the trending fashion among young Ghanaian lads and lasses in the fast globalising generation.

However, another evolution quite out of the ordinary and not readily visible to the eye because of its intimate and obscure nature is catching on among “Sianos” in Kumasi and quite fast at that.

Its vaginal and penis piercings from different angles and positions no matter the pains this process could inflict on its patronisers.

Genital piercing according to tattoo and piercing designers in Kumasi is topping the list of demands of their clients. They indicate that it is even more popular than most people think though it may not be as visible as the nostrils, navel, earlobe, and tongue piercings.

Checks among some of these centres reveal a plethora of preferences with quite intriguing names. For women, the most popular include Vertical Clitoral Hood (VCH), Horizontal Clitoral Hood (HCH), Triangle, Inner Labia and Outer Labia.

Prince Albert (PA), Reverse Prince Albert, Apadravya, Ampallang, Dolphin, Dydoe, Frenum, Lorum, Hafada and Guiche are some of the most popular genital piercing for men.

A popular piercing and tattoo designer in Dichemso in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, told Kumasi-based Ultimate FM the trend is picking up in Kumasi and just this Saturday, he did vaginal piercing for a lady who came to his studio with her husband.

“Even last Saturday I did a nice vaginal piercing for a woman, she was with her husband and they all agreed to do it so I did it for her. Initially the woman had wanted to do it at the belly button but the husband wanted it on her vagina so I did it for her in the presence of the husband.”

He indicated that some women come individually without their partners but insisted “we don’t have any sexual feelings for anyone but we only have feelings for the work.”

However in an interview with Ultimate News, Obstetrician Gynaecologist Doctor Kojo sarbeng at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) observed that some people who have had their genital pierced claim it is for them to better enjoy sex. He indicates that persons who indulge in the act are at risk of developing tetanus, deformities of the genital, and other dire health implications.

“There are women who have come with complications after genital piercing because they developed ulcers which were not healing and there was one who was complaining she had painful sexual intercourse but the question was why she went into it in the first place but she said she was advised by friends, you could have tetanus , it can lead to deformities of the genitals, Doctors in the urological department have had a cause to chop of the male genitals because they were having difficulties removing rings from the penis.”

If you ever thought this was only to be found in some foreign countries like the United States of America, it is no new thing in Ghana. In fact the trend seems to be in vogue in Ghana.