Like any physical activity, sex can come with a cacophony of dangers and risks aside from the usual diseases and pregnancy. While serious incidents are rare, many people do suffer injury or death either during or because of sex, but there are ways to stay safe. According to science, the following activities are the most dangerous and should probably be avoided (or at least pursued with caution).
- Using certain sex toys There’s nothing wrong with trying to spice up your bedroom acrobatics with some toys, but you need to know what you’re doing to use them safely. For example, an analysis from Sexual Medicine Reviews states that objects made for the urethra can cause a lot of harm. Yikes! If you and your partner are into being adventurous in this department, you’ll need to move extremely slowly and not rush things. Both male and female sex organs are extremely sensitive and viable to tearing if you’re not careful.
- Missionary position Unlike positions where women are on-top, missionary position can experience trauma because it’s frequently performed aggressively. For example, if a guy slips out in a certain way from pumping too fast, it can lead to an… unpleasant situation. A team of researchers studied 90 men between the ages of 18 and 66 and found that missionary came in second place when being compared to penile masturbation, woman-on-top positions, and doggy style.
- The Cowgirl position Another phenomenon that’s seen in pretty much every Hollywood movies, penile injuries from this Western-inspired sex position, while uncommon, do happen. The risk for fracturing is there, so be careful. Furthermore, if an accident does occur, make sure you seek medical attention no matter how embarrassing the situation is. No one wants broken junk.
- Fisting Just the idea alone can make anyone shudder. Fisting, which is essentially trying to shove an apple-sized fist into your anal or vaginal orifices, has actually been physically traumatic in 22.2% of cases. This means that more than one in five cases of fisting can lead to some sort of damage. The study also showed that internal injuries occurred “in the totality of patients,” meaning every person subjected to fisting experienced vaginal or rectal damage. So, maybe just keep your hands out of the cookie jar for a while? Or forever?
- Doggy style A favorite position for animals and humans alike, the reason that this one could also be hazardous for the man is similar to the dangers of missionary position—slipping can be harmful. One study suggested that it resulted in 41% of all penile fractures, and it ranked as the most critical in the research study mentioned above. Because men can get pretty active back there, the threat of slipping out is greater. For women, the lack of control can lead to possible tearing if her partner enters the wrong way.
- Hematolagnia Thanks to the likes of Stephanie Meyers and Charlaine Harris, the vampire has taken over the airwaves and has even gotten into the bedroom. Hematolagnia refers to blood play between sex partners—and yes, some people are into this. However, playing around with blood can be potentially dangerous, not only because of disease but the health implications of blood loss. If your partner is anemic, for example, it can be downright deadly.
- Autoerotic asphyxiation Also known as “breath play,” this fetish involves cutting of one’s oxygen supply to increase the pleasure of an orgasm. While pleasurable, if one partner gets too caught up in the whole mating ritual and doesn’t pay attention to how their partner is reacting, tragedy can occur. It’s good to communicate and have a safe word before participating in this potentially deadly sex fetish.
- Oral sex It’s hard to prove that oral sex is that unsafe, but there have been reported cases and studies about injuries that occurred because of it. Breath play can also be involved when it comes to oral sex, so you and your partner need have trust and communication. But autofellatio (if you Google it, make sure you write “define” first) has been known to cause spinal injuries and is more perilous then doing it to others.
- Omorashi The Japanese have set a plethora of trends all over the world, but this sexual fetish may not be their best contribution. Omorashi refers to achieving sexual pleasure from having a full bladder. The dangerous part is that if you hold the urine for too long, you can inadvertently give yourself a bladder infection or urinary issues.
