A transscrotal piercing is a
body piercing that travels through the
scrotum
In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin ...
from front to back, or from side to side. It is a high risk procedure.
Procedure
This male genital piercing is an extremely advanced procedure, and is not done using a needle. Instead a scalpel or occasionally a
dermal punch is used to make an incision, which is then followed by suturing the front to the back in order to create a viable
fistula
In anatomy, a fistula (: fistulas or fistulae ; from Latin ''fistula'', "tube, pipe") is an abnormal connection (i.e. tube) joining two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other h ...
. Large gauge jewelry is usually then inserted into the incision. If the bond between the front and the back of the piercing holds, healing is very quick and easy. Should a bond fail to form, healing can be lengthy and problematic.
This is a serious, complex piercing, and should an
infection
An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...
develop, it can develop within the scrotum and becomes dangerous very quickly. This procedure is often considered to be a potentially dangerous surgical procedure, and is not by any means common.
Jewelry
Transscrotal piercings are usually healed with a
barbell
A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end.
Barbells range in length ...
although
teflon
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, and has numerous applications because it is chemically inert. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemours, a spin-off from ...
,
tygon
Tygon® is a brand name for a family of flexible polymer tubing consisting of a variety of materials to be used "across a range of specialized fluid transfer requirements". The specific composition of each type is a trade secret. Some variants ha ...
or other flexible inert jewelry can also be used. Once healed, transscrotal piercings can be stretched quickly and, given the amount of surrounding tissue, to great size if desired. A variety of jewelry can be used in healed transscrotal piercings, including large
captive bead ring
A captive bead ring (CBR), ball closure ring (BCR), captive hoop, or captive ball ring is a common example of body piercing jewelry.
The captive bead or ball fits into a small opening in the circle of the ring. The bead is slightly larger than thi ...
s and
plug
Plug, PLUG, plugs, or plugged may refer to:
* Plug, an insertive closure or stopper (plug)
** Core plug, used to fill the casting holes on engines
** Butt plug, a sex toy that is inserted into the rectum
** Earplug for ear protection
** Plug (s ...
s. Jewelry for transscrotal piercings is often custom made.
History and culture
The transscrotal piercing is of contemporary origin, and has generally only been performed by practitioners of other "extreme" body modifications such as
subdermal implant
A subdermal implant is a body modification placed under the skin, allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. Such implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many subdermal implants are made out of si ...
s,
transdermal implants and
tongue splitting
Tongue bifurcation, splitting or forking, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside base, forking the end.
Bifid tongue in humans may also be an unintended complication of ...
. Like other "heavy" genital modifications, it may be performed under less than ideal situations by amateur practitioners as part of
CBT or other
BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...
activities.
It is also sometimes spelled transcrotal piercing or referred to as a "scrunnel" (short for scrotal tunnel).
References
External links
*
Body Modification Ezine article on Transscrotal piercing
{{Body Piercing
Male genital piercings
Scrotum