Our Bodies, Our Brains - The Most Valueable Tools In Play/BDSM

Thanks Pure...what we do is rarely considered safe by most in the mainstream, and also many in BDSM, but I see so many misconceptions borne of ignorance and/or laziness in researching first and those getting lost in fantasy and lured by descriptions which portray an erotic (at times no risk) picture but neglect the safety issues, it sometimes gives me shivers. Figure if you're going to play, may as well play as safe as possible so you can hopefully play longer...having one place to find info cuts down on hours of surfing the net endlessly in search of a variety of topics, or claiming there was no time. Also found this site which seems to offer great info and advice for those wanting to pursue breath play: http://www.mybdsm.com/pages/breathplay/enter.html .

Catalina

Butt Plugs

http://www.albanypowerexchange.com/BDSMinfo/plugs.htm

PLUGS

Buttplugs-in the generic sense of an object to plug the butt-come in any shape or size you can imagine. If a distinction needs to be made between buttplugs and dildos, you could say that it's more a difference in what you do with the object than what it looks like or how it feels. Generally, a plug stays in place and a dildo moves; a plug is not necessarily phallic-looking; a dildo probably is. Dildos can be considered along with buttplugs in this discussion. Vaginal plugs are the same, but a wider variety of sizes and shapes can be used.

When inserting a plug, use lots of lube, and go slowly. Save twisting, grinding, and vigorous movement for later, after the muscles have relaxed. (Faster movement should, in theory, be reserved for a dildo anyway.) Most commercial buttplugs have a narrow part at the bottom where the sphincter muscle can hold it and keep it inside. Since a vagina has no sphincter muscle to hold a plug in, a plug must be stuffed in and held or strapped in.

Routine use of condoms on buttplugs is an easy safe practice to follow regularly, and it allows for sharing of toys among bottoms. Remember that while plugs can be shared (with a condom), lube should not be. A hand moving from a lube container to a person and then back to the lube container inevitably deposits things from the person to the lube container. Reserve a lube container for that bottom, or, better yet, a bottom should have his or her own lube container. Women should follow the dictum, "From vagina to butt, but not butt to vagina."

TYPES OF BUTTPLUGS AND VAGINAL PLUGS

Store-bought plastic, in various sizes (some with leather bottoms or holes for hooks in order to attach a strap that will hold the plug in); vibrating; plug with leather tail attached (great for playing horsy, especially with a horse-bit gag); corn-on-the-cob; vegetables; eggs, hard-boiled, cooled, and shelled; marshmallows, frozen or thawed; frozen grapes; anal beads of various sizes (a string of plastic beads of any size placed a few inches apart on a string); chain link, any size, the type that has no rough edges on the links.

PLUG SAFETY

The skin of the anus is thin and sensitive and therefore, easy to abrade. Use lots of lube and know the size of the bottom, knowing approximately what he or she can take. After play, eat food with bacterial culture, such as yogurt, which can assist in recovery of the normal rectal fauna, which ultimately aids in healing abrasion.
Wash thoroughly any food or other biodegradable objects: grapes, for example, can create a yeast infection.
Practice carefully using anal/vaginal beads in order to learn how to avoid scraping the knot against skin.
Do not use anything made of wood, to protect against slivers and splinters. (Billy clubs should be plastic.)
To state the obvious: what goes in must come out. Therefore, the more manageable buttplugs are those with flanges at the bottom to keep the plug from sliding inside. Even buttplugs may disappear inside, however, and if this happens, the most important thing to do is not to panic-or even fear panic. Most lost objects can be retrieved easily if the bottom remains relaxed. If you can't reach it immediately, some soothing tea, mental relaxation exercises, massage of the lower back, or a warm bath may help. Moreover, the intestines may have stopped their normal movement, and eating a small amount to restart that movement may naturally (or with a little assistance) pass the object out. Do not use a laxative. Do not leave the object inside and assume it will eventually come out. If it doesn't come out after relaxation and movement of the intestines, or if the bottom cannot relax at all, a hospital visit is necessary. (Invasive surgery is usually not indicated, since physicians have access to muscle relaxants and appropriate tools for stretching the rectum and reaching inside to grasp an object.)
Spanking should be avoided if a buttplug is inserted.
It is not necessary to take a full enema before using a buttplug, which only goes a short way up the rectum. A quick, simple douche will suffice in most cases.



Safety

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_masturbation


A butt plug should have a flared base and be free of any seams.
Enlarge
A butt plug should have a flared base and be free of any seams.

Insertion of foreign objects into the anus is not without dangers.
[edit]

Roughness

Objects with rough edges can cause tears to the rectum. Inexpensive butt plugs and anal beads will sometimes have seams, caused by the polymer molding process, which should be removed before use. When stimulating the anus with a finger, fingernails can tear the rectum as well. For this reason, it is advisable for nails to be trimmed short and to be buffed after trimming, to ensure that the trimmed edges are not sharp. Vegetables virtually always have some rough edges.
[edit]

Risks associated with bleeding

Generally speaking, minor injuries that cause some bleeding to the rectum pose little risk, although they should not be ignored. It is always sensible to stop at the first sign of bleeding in order to avoid the possibility of inflicting more serious injury and/or aggravating what is still a minor wound. Minor bleeding will usually stop of its own accord relatively quickly.

Prolonged or heavy bleeding is a different matter. This is a serious situation that can become life-threatening if left untreated. The injury may turn out to be more severe than was first suspected (especially if there was no sensation of pain when the injury occurred). A wound that penetrates the intestinal wall is likely to lead to feces passing into the peritoneal cavity, leading in turn to peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen). This is a potentially fatal condition that must be treated as soon as possible. However, anal play using objects that have no sharp edges or rough surfaces is unlikely to cause this kind of injury.

A significant risk factor associated with any injury that causes bleeding is the effect of certain drugs that cause thinning of the blood, including some analgesics or anti-inflammatory agents which are in common use, such as aspirin and naproxen sodium (a.k.a. Aleve). Their blood-thinning action significantly interferes with the mechanism of blood clotting (which normally seals the surface of a wound and thus prevents further bleeding), and makes it possible for even small injuries to bleed indefinitely. This situation is not helped by the fact that for practical reasons, it is not possible to prevent further bleeding by bandaging a wound that occurs in the rectum.

It is therefore sensible to avoid experimenting with anal play, especially for the first time, until at least a week after ceasing the use of such drugs.

The treatment for persistent or heavy bleeding will require a visit to an emergency room for a sigmoidoscopy and cauterization (sealing the injured tissue with a heated object) in order to prevent further loss of blood. Apart from the volume of blood that is lost into the rectum, other easily-observable indications that medical intervention is urgently needed as a result of blood loss are an elevated heart rate and a general feeling of faintness or weakness.
[edit]

Rectal foreign bodies

Butt plugs normally have a flared base to prevent complete insertion (see also rectal foreign body) and should be carefully cleaned and sterilized before and after use. Sex toys, including anally used toys, should not be shared in order to minimize STI (Sexually-transmitted infection, formerly referred to as an STD) risk.

Objects such as lightbulbs or wax candles cannot safely be used in anal masturbation, as they may break or shatter, causing dangerous medical situations.

Some objects can become lodged above the lower colon if they are pushed too deeply inside; here they cannot always be dislodged by forcing a bowel movement. Such foreign bodies should not be allowed to remain stuck for any length of time. Medical help should be sought if the object does not emerge of its own accord within a couple of hours, and sooner if it is hard, large, has projections or sharp edges, or if bleeding occurs. Small objects with dimensions similar to small stools are less likely to become lodged than medium-sized or large objects like cellphones, potatoes or, unfortunately, dildos; they can usually be expelled by forcing a bowel movement. It is always safest if a graspable part of the object inserted remains outside the body, where it can easily be pulled out.
[edit]

Overstretching
A male human anus being stretched.The image above is proposed for deletion. See images and media for deletion to help reach a consensus on what to do..
Enlarge
A male human anus being stretched.
The image above is proposed for deletion. See images and media for deletion to help reach a consensus on what to do..

Overstretching of the anus can cause fecal incontinence or anal fissures; see also anal stretching for a discussion.
[edit]

Hygiene

The purpose of the anus is to remove feces from the body. Therefore when inserting objects into the anus one may encounter feces. This can make cleanup especially important and difficult. One may wish to cover butt plugs or other objects with a condom before insertion and then dispose of the condom afterwards to simplify the cleaning process.

Minimizing the amount of feces present in the rectum may also help. To do this, one may try increasing the amount of insoluble fiber present in the diet. Besides being beneficial for general health, insoluble fiber will also help clear the rectum of feces when defecating.

This looks like a valuable thread about safety.

All frivolity and foibles aside I tend to make safety a priority, particularly when I'm in charge of a scene.

It's those Girl Scout leader days, as well as, my own credo of responsibility and guilt principal that make me very careful.

Fury

Thanks Catalina, Have learned a lot by going through some of these links and answered many of the questions I was after when I made my own post.

Much appreciated

Betti

OK, so to flogging and such...

WhereTo and Where Not To Hit

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgprc.htm#Targets


Hit only well-padded areas of the body. The more muscle and fat covering bones, ligaments, nerves, major blood vessels, and organs, the better. Remember that people differ in how well padded they are.

* Flog away at:
o The buttocks and the thighs, especially on the rear upper thighs just below the buttocks (the sulcus) These are the only universally safe target areas and where you can strike hardest and longest within any particular bottom's limits.
o The upper back, usually a safe target area for moderate flogging. You can go heavier on someone with a very muscular back or someone who's toughened their back through previous floggings over the course of years -- the outer skin layer may be several times as thick as on a normal back. Avoid flogging someone's back if they are skinny and the bones are very prominent, or at least go very lightly. Always aim for the shoulders and try to avoid hitting the spine.
o The male upper chest (the pectoral region). Usually safe, but while some enjoy being flogged here, others cannot tolerate it at all. Go very lightly until you've gauged the tolerance, and never flog this area as heavily as the ass or thighs.
* Go easy on:
o The soles of the feet, the calves, and the genitals. Remember that the feet are full of bones and nerves, the calves carry major nerve channels and blood vessels, and the genitals contain many delicate structures. For advice on whipping the male genitals see Cock Torture and Ball Torture.
o The female breasts, which can be flogged lightly and carefully unless the bottom has cysts.
* Avoid:
o The abdomen (including the chest below the nipples or breasts), except when the bottom is a body builder who has exceptionally strong musculature in that area.
o The face, neck, joints, hands, lower back (just above the buttocks), sides of the torso (armpits to waist), and most of the legs and feet (excepting only the calves and soles as noted above).
o The spine.

Protection

Even an expert can miss a shot, and some very experienced players use protective gear to shield sensitive and vulnerable areas. A weightlifter's kidney belt is useful for heavy back and buttocks floggings, a heavy collar, the wider the better, is advisable if the upper back is to be a major target, and a heavyweight hood can protect both the neck and head. If you really enjoy giving or taking heavy back floggings, using something to protect the spine is a good idea, but you'll probably have to have it custom-made: for instance, a leather collar and kidney belt joined by a strap that lays over the spine.

Clothing can absorb some of the force of the blows and most of the sting (and cutting potential) of thin whips, as well as protecting against stray blows to areas that should not be hit. Depending on individual preference, anything from T-shirt and briefs to denims to full leather may be worn. A leather vest (waistcoat) can make it a lot easier for an inexperienced bottom to take a back flogging, and a leather jacket may protect the kidney area and neck as well. Leather chaps can be a good protection for vulnerable parts of the legs and leather pants (trousers) can make even a heavy ass whipping tolerable for a novice.

However there are real disadvantages to flogging a clothed bottom. The top has to swing harder to give enough force. Also, without being able to see the effect of your blows -- reddening of the skin, visible cuts, bruises -- it can be harder to pace the scene. If the flogging is heavy enough to cause cuts despite light clothing, the fabric may stick to the cuts when the blood dries. And rough fabric and hard leather can wear away the ends of a fine flogging implement.

Restraint

A stationary target is easier to hit accurately than a moving one, so it is usually preferable for the bottom to be securely restrained during a flogging. A "free" flogging, with no restraint, is not necessarily dangerous, but it certainly requires a lot of skill on the part of the top, and the bottom needs great self-control to avoid any movement that could cause a stroke to hit in the wrong place.

In most cases the restraint itself should not be uncomfortable or painful so that both partners can concentrate on the flogging activity. While many of us have an image of flogging that involves the bottom tied standing up, it is easier for most bottoms to sustain a long scene if their weight is supported in some way. A St. Andrew's cross or A-frame tilted off the vertical can be very comfortable, especially if the hands are tied downwards and not upwards, as can being restrained horizontally on a bed or table. Kneeling with the chest and head supported on a bed, bench, chair, etc. is also a safe and comfortable position, particularly for ass floggings.

Any setup for flogging should include sufficient lighting so tops can see where they are hitting and the precise effect of the blows. If the light distracts the bottom, use a blindfold or hood, but never risk doing a flogging in inadequate light.

How to Hit

Learn to hit where you aim. Most of the accidental injuries in flogging occur because the top did not have enough control to hit the part of the body s/he was aiming at and hit some off-limits area. Good flogging technique requires extensive practice on an inanimate object, such as a pillow, teddy bear, hanging towel, or upholstered chair: anything that can absorb the blows without damage yet also show where they landed. And you'll need to practice with each flogging implement you want to use. They all handle differently; no one can achieve acceptable accuracy with unfamiliar equipment. Although anyone can miss a stroke occasionally, until you can hit a precise target area with virtually every swing, you have no business using a whip on a person.

Hit with just the tip of the lash or tails, not the full length. The exception is when you use a short cat or flogger and are skilled enough to make the whole length of the tails land where you want them to -- something virtually impossible to do when the tails are longer than, say, 60cm (2'). For one thing, the end of a whip, cat, or flogger is easier to control than its body, and for another, if you try to land its body in a certain place on your partner, the tip is almost certain to wrap around and hit them somewhere else out of sight. And because the tip travels faster than the body, when it wraps it will hit much harder than the blow to the contact point that you can see. The result will usually be much more pain than you intended, often in a part of the body that you shouldn't be hitting at all (such as the side of the rib cage), and you could damage a vital organ in the bargain.

To avoid the spine when you're flogging the back, just land the tip of your implement on one side of the back or the other--don't try to lay it across the whole width. Don't worry if you trail the whip across the spine as you draw it back, as long as the primary blow avoids it.

Cuts, scrapes, and bleeding can usually be avoided, or at least minimized, by limiting the force of your blows, particularly with whips that can cut or scrape the skin easily, and by not hitting an already bruised or lacerated area again. Some tops immediately dress every cut they notice, both to protect it and to help them remember not to hit the same spot again. In general, you are most likely to break the skin if you hit hard again and again in the same places, least likely if you distribute lighter blows over a wider area. But a lighter, well-distributed flogging that lasts a long time can have a cumulative effect in terms of pain and stimulation very similar to that of a heavier, more concentrated flogging.

Always pay attention to what you're doing and the effects of your blows. Check for cuts and developing bruises, and avoid striking those areas again. Even if you think you're not wrapping, check the bottom's other side from time to time to be sure. The bottom, too, should remain aware of where s/he is being hit and how hard, so s/he can let the top know if targets are missed or limits exceeded. Of course, neither partner can keep a clear head if he's under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

If you make a mistake and hit where you shouldn't, or hit harder than you intended, acknowledge the slip for what it was and reestablish rapport with your partner by touching or talking to them. An error need not "blow" the whole scene -- no worthwhile bottom will panic because you're not perfect -- but s/he may need reassurance that you're in control and know what you're doing.

General Flogging and Flagellation Safety

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgprc.htm#Safety


As used here, flogging means hitting with a whip, cat, or any other implement having one or more flexible lashes. As far as safety is concerned, belts and straps are very much like floggers -- just don't hit with the buckle. Hitting with a paddle, cane, or other relatively inflexible implement is different from flogging, though what is said below about safe areas to hit and about bruises and hematomas is also applicable.

Dangers

Breaking the Skin

Although an erotic flogging is rarely bloody, many kinds of flogging implements can open the surface of the skin, either by cutting or scraping previously undamaged skin or by causing the weakened skin over a bruise to break. Thin whips such as bullwhips, tightly braided cats, and thin-tailed quirts are most likely to cut, nylon-tipped whips and rubber floggers to scrape (abrade), and heavy, wide-tailed rubber or leather floggers and cats to bruise, but similar effects can also be caused by other implements.

The chief danger from breaking the skin is infection, which can occur in various ways. For the bottom, the most serious risk is becoming infected with a disease through blood or lymph (a colorless body fluid that collects in bruises and other wounds and can be exuded from a cut or scrape even if there is no visible bleeding) left on the flogging implement from a previous scene if it was inadequately cleaned (or not cleaned at all). Less seriously, an open wound is vulnerable to airborne viruses and bacteria and contaminants spread by hands and other body parts as well as the implement itself, so all cuts and scrapes should be treated with disinfectant (see Preventing Infection below).

Infectious agents might also be transferred from an open wound to the flogging implement, where they could be picked up later by the top, or by other bottoms if it is not cleaned before reuse. In a very heavy flogging, blood may spatter from some blows, but the droplets will usually land elsewhere on the bottom's body or very close by and are unlikely to cause problems by landing on the top or spectators.

The possibility of infection with HIV, hepatitis or other communicable diseases must be taken very seriously, but it should also not be exaggerated to the point of paranoia. In most cases only a tiny amount of blood or lymph is exuded, and even less is actually picked up by the business end of the whip, cat, or flogger. Moreover, the HIV microbe in particular dies quickly when exposed to air, though the hepatitis viruses and some others are much hardier. If you follow reasonable precautions in using and cleaning flogging equipment and use standard first-aid procedures in treating whatever wounds do occur, the risk should be remote or nonexistent.

Whip cuts can also cause scarring. Unwanted scarring can be reduced by proper care for wounds, but the risk cannot be completely eliminated in any especially heavy scene.

Bruises and Hematomas

A bruise results when blood vessels are broken under the skin. Most bruises are caused by the rupture of tiny capillaries just under the surface. The discoloration and tenderness to touch comes from the accumulation of blood, lymph, and waste products at the site of the wound as the body reacts to heal itself. Most simple bruises are not dangerous and will go away in time without treatment. More serious is a hematoma which results from bleeding between deeper layers of the skin or flesh and can range in size from about 1 to 12cm (0.5"-5") in diameter. On the surface, a hematoma looks like a very bad bruise. The site will be hard and hot to the touch, as well as very tender and painful, and it may be puffy. Small hematomas, like bruises, can heal by themselves if they're not abused further. Large ones can be very dangerous, since the pooled blood clots and hardens, putting pressure on adjacent nerves, undamaged blood vessels, and even internal organs. They need to be treated with medication to dissolve the clotting safely.

Psychological Trauma

An incompetent flogging could panic or terrorize the bottom, and even a technically expert flogging may go well beyond a particular bottom's limits. Such emotional wounds may make it difficult for the bottom to enjoy subsequent SM action, and they can even generate psychic stress that impairs other areas of life. Granted, some tops deliberately try to instill terror, and some bottoms get off on it, but terrorization is an extremely hazardous technique. It should be used only by tops who know exactly what they're doing and how to deal with the results. Tops should also be prepared to deal with panic, which is almost always unintentional, by being able to calm the bottom down.

Other Damage

While cuts, scrapes, and bruises are occupational hazards and sometimes even the desired outcome of even the most impeccable flogging, bad technique or a missed shot, can result in damage to parts of the body that should not be involved at all, such as the eyes and the rest of the face, the nerves and blood vessels in the joints (especially the elbows and knees), the spine, and internal organs (especially the kidneys). Damage in these areas can be so serious, even life-threatening, that you should not think in terms of minimizing it. Rather, make every effort to avoid it altogether by following the safety rules below.

First Aid and Clean Up

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgprc.htm#Safety


Cuts and Scrapes

Even in a very heavy scene, blood flow from a whip cut or scrape should stop by itself in a few seconds. If it doesn't, press on the wound, using a sterile gauze to keep blood off your hand. After blood flow has stopped, clean the wound and the skin around it with sterile gauze soaked in Betadine or another iodine-based antiseptic (the best choice), hydrogen peroxide, or Hibiclens. Alcohol is not an adequate disinfectant in this case, and it will sting a lot more.

Once cleaned, shallow cuts and most abrasions should not be bandaged (free air flow promotes healing) and should not require medical attention if kept clean. Do not apply greasy ointments. If there is any reason wounds can't be kept clean without bandaging, bandage them loosely, using lint-free gauze pads that won't stick if more blood or lymph is exuded.

A deep cut, where the sides of the wound pull away from each other, should be held closed with a butterfly bandage (so called because of its shape) until you can get to a doctor, who may have to stitch it up. If a wound does not heal normally in a few days, or if swelling, discoloration, sensitivity to light pressure, or fever develops, there may be an infection -- see a doctor as soon as possible.

Bruises and Hematomas

Bruising is most likely to be caused by implements that land with a "thud" rather than a "crack," such as a very heavy cat as well as rigid, blunt instruments. These do little or no damage to the surface skin but crush deeper tissue and the blood vessels running through it. Bruising may not show up until some time after the scene. Small bruises do not need any special attention, though some think a light rubbing with Vitamin E can reduce pain and promote healing (cut open the vitamin capsules and squeeze it out for external use). For larger bruises, apply an ice pack to reduce pain and prevent swelling, followed by Vitamin E. Do not use heat, as this will increase internal bleeding and make things worse.

Large or very painful hematomas need medical attention. Also see a doctor if any pain develops deep inside the body or if other pain continues several hours after a flogging, as this may indicate damage to internal organs. Be sure to tell the truth about how the injury occurred to avoid misdiagnosis.

Avoiding Infection via Implements

Do not use the same implement on different bottoms in the same scene, even if there is no visible bleeding. Colorless lymph exuded from small cuts or scrapes can carry HIV and other viruses.

Clean the business ends of implements carefully after every scene, using latex gloves to handle equipment that was used in a bloody scene.

At a minimum, after a light to moderate scene with no visible bleeding, spray or soak the tips or ends of your whips, cats, floggers, etc. with hydrogen peroxide, wipe away the excess with clean towels, and let them air-dry for at least a few hours before reuse, preferably overnight. Just dabbing or wiping your equipment with disinfectant isn't enough, particularly with braided whips, because microbes can lodge in cracks and crannies. Rubber and plastic whips and floggers can be cleaned with a bleach solution (10 parts water to 1 part bleach is adequate). Leather equipment will have to be reconditioned with Lexol or saddle dressing after it's dry.

After a heavy flogging, and whenever blood is drawn, first wash any other soiled parts of the implements with water and a strong foaming cleanser like Simple Green (available at hardware and auto-supply stores), using a hard-bristle brush to clean out any crannies, then treat as above.

An implement that draws a tiny amount of blood can be made safe for reuse on another person if the procedure above is followed, but a whip that cuts someone's back to shreds should probably be reserved for future use on that person only even after cleaning. Some people insist on reserving all flogging toys for use on a specific person, but this is not a very affordable proposition for many people and in most cases is probably unneccesary if proper cleaning procedures are carried out. Some long whips have replaceable "crackers" at the end, and one that becomes saturated with blood should be replaced, not just cleaned.

Avoid using more water, disinfectant, or cleanser on a fine leather whip, cat, or flogger than is necessary. Don't soak the whole thing, for instance, and don't use the two-stage cleaning procedure when the simpler one will suffice. Over-cleaning will wear leather out very rapidly.

Caning

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgprc.htm#Safety

Note: Advice on choosing and caring for a cane can be found in What to Use: Canes. Some of the postures discussed under Spanking are also relevant to caning.

Before you begin a caning, there are a few safety precautions you should take. First, make sure the room is not too cold. Cold muscles are far more prone to serious injury, and will recover more slowly from the blows. The advice on warming up is equally relevant here, though because of the traditional place of caning in education, there are many more afficianados who prefer a set number of strokes.

Targets

The traditional and safest target is the buttocks. The Sulcus, the area between the bottom of the buttocks and the top of the thighs, is particularly sensitive. It requires a little extra caution, but it can also produce some rather interesting responses. And don't neglect the backs, or even the fronts, of the thighs: they are as sensitive as the buttocks if not more so.

Avoid hitting the tailbone or anywhere bone comes near the surface. Caning the upper back is not normally done and if attempted it should be carried out with care, avoiding the spine. Caning the hands is not advisable as they carry so many nerves.

Hints on Technique

You don't have to put a lot of force behind the cane to get a powerful, energetic stroke. A natural, relatively slow swing will produce all the force you require as long as you swing properly. Use your wrist to accelerate the tip of the cane just before impact - the proper swing is very similar to a racquetball (squash) swing, not a tennis swing.

There is an important reason to emphasize proper form rather than brute strength. Proper form is important in maintaining the accuracy and consistency of your strokes. These provide safety for the bottom. If your swings are all over the map and the intensity is out of control, sooner or later you will strike too hard or in an incorrect place. You could cause serious damage. Practice on an inanimate object until you develop real skill.

Backhanded strokes, as one would use in tennis or racquetball (squash), can be employed as well as forehanded. With practice, you should be as proficient with either a forehand or a backhand swing. Contrary to what many people think, a clean backhand usually gives a harder stroke than a forehand.

Speed of strokes can also be varied. They can be applied slowly, with lots of power and time between strokes for partial recovery. Or they can be applied rapid-fire staccato. Usually, the faster you go the less power should be behind each stroke.

Caning produces two forms of pain which are caused by separate parts of the stroke. The decompression caused when the cane leaves the flesh is, when delivered properly, distinct from the sensation of impact. By holding the cane down before releasing it, the two stages of pain can be further separated. A masochist bottom will appreciate the extra effort. Others will curse and cry and beg - maybe even simultaneously.



Acknowledgments
Some of the descriptions of implements are taken from Slakker's original ABC of BDSM. Thanks to Ted for the information on the Spencer Paddle, and to Rodney for suggestions.
Sections on safety are edited and adapted excerpts from Black Cross: A Handbook of Health and Safety for S/M by David Stein (unpublished). © Copyright 1990, 1996 David Stein. All rights reserved.
The detailed notes on flogging scenes are taken from Slakker's ABC. Both are used with the permission of their respective authors.
The notes on Caning were taken by Slakker from an anonymous Usenet post. Unfortunately we have been unable to trace the author. Please contact us if you have any further information.

What to Use

There are a wide variety of flagellation toys, and each type behaves differently with respect to the physical factors described below, consequently requiring its own particular set of techniques. Some are made to traditional designs, originally intended for non-consensual use on humans, such as the 'cat o'nine tails' and schoolmaster's cane, or on animals, such as riding crops and bullwhips. Others are adaptations or original designs made with SMers in mind, and still others are improvised 'pervertibles' like slippers and wooden spoons.

All these implements have two basic components: a handle (which in some improvised implements like rulers can be simply the end you choose to hold) and a striking surface. This striking surface is usually what's used to classify the implements. Its flexibility can vary from the relatively rigid wooden paddle through canes to the rubber of a purpose-made flogger. It can be flat and broad, as with paddles and slippers, or thin and long, in which case it is usually called a tress. Implements with tresses can have a single one, as with classic whips, or multiple tresses, as with cats and floggers. It can also combine two or more effects. Some tresses, for example, have cutting tips. And while only the loop at the end of a riding crop is intended as the contact point on a horse, some tops have developed techniques that utilise both the loop and the more rigid shaft.



Flagellation Implements

Birches

Wooden rods or bundles of twigs taken from a tree, normally the birch, and used traditionally either in corporal punishment (on young offenders in the Isle of Man until very recently) or, as bunches, for arousing the skin in a sauna. These dried-out rods and twigs are stimulating but do relatively little damage, and can be used safely in areas of the body where other implements cannot. Trimming the thin tips helps reduce whipround and, since the twigs are prone to breaking during use, the bottom (and perhaps the top if the action is very energetic) should have some form of eye protection.

Canes

Thin, semi-flexible rods that have a long history as an implement of corporal punishment. They are made from a variety of materials and in range of sizes, each one of which has its own particular qualities. Softer materials, like hazel, are often very flexible and resilient. They will strike with more speed and more "cutting" capability, but because of their compressibility they strike with less overall force than a more dense material such as rattan. Some modern materials, such as fibreglass, combine flexibility with high density to produce sensations not possible with natural materials. However, most caners prefer the psychological effect of natural bamboo and rattan canes.

Longer canes strike with more power and therefore require more skill and greater caution; larger diameter canes cause more of a "thud" when they strike, while thinner canes produce a sharper stinging. Larger canes are also far less likely to break the skin and cause bleeding, although they do bruise beautifully. Smaller canes won't traumatize as large of an area, but they are apt to slice the skin. For details on using a cane, see Running the Scene: Caning.

* The Domestic Cane is straight, usually of bamboo, with a grip at one end made of a material like wound string.
* The Malacca Cane is relatively thick, and has a knob at one end for gripping.
* The Schoolmaster's Cane is also of bamboo or rattan and is traditionally steamed or soaked, then bent at one end and allowed to dry, to create the characteristic curved handle. This can be replicated at home on a cheap straight bamboo cane from a gardening supplier.
* The Switch is a cane that has been split at the striking end, producing two tongues.

A good cane should be flexible, allowing it to bend with each stroke. If made from a natural, porous material, it should be covered with several good coats of varnish to enable effective disinfection. Length is typically between 60cm (2') and 1m (3') -- 80-90cm is most common. Longer canes (up to 115cm/42") are acceptable for experienced caners only because their use requires greater skill. A diameter of 7mm (0.25") is good for general purposes -- slightly thinner for a real sting and larger (up to 20mm/0.75") for a thud.

Cane Care: Store in a dry, cool place, away from sun, heat and moisture, hung vertically to keep it from developing curves and bends. Every year or so, sand the varnish from the tip of the cane, so the naked wood is exposed. Stand cane, exposed end down, in a flower vase or other water-filled container overnight, to allow the wood to absorb the water. Then varnish the tip to keep the moisture within the cane. This will make the cane last much, much longer, and will maintain its flexibility.

Cats

Similar to floggers (see below), except that each tress is terminated in a knot or a metal weight, which may or may not have a cutting edge. These can easily cause harm and are not recommended for novices.

* The Cat o' Nine-Tails is the most infamous cat, traditionally made of three lengths of 'sheet' (rope) cut into three with each tail knotted at the end. It was a traditional naval punishment, and could reputedly be laid on so heavily as to flay flesh to the bone -- though bearing in mind that offenders were expected to be back at work the next day, it's likely that some of the more lurid contemporary accounts are less than reliable.
* Scourges. The mediaeval scourge as used by the Flagellants was of a cat type, made of leather thongs with knotted ends. Other implements in this period were made of whipcord (hemp): an example in the museum in Salzburg castle has tiny sharpened shards of metal threaded into the end of each tress.
* Improvised Cats. A cheap but effective version can be made of leather bootlaces, as suggested under Floggers below, but with a simple reef knot in the end of each tress.

Floggers

Implements with a number of flexible tresses. The business end is often made up of leather straps, but it can be made of many other materials as well, including rope (whipcord), horsehair, rubber, silk, rawhide and even IV tubing. Generally speaking, the thinner the material is, the more it will sting. Thicker, wider, and/or heavier materials produce less sting, but the loss in sting is offset by a greater propensity to bruise. The slapping thud of a heavy flogger is usually easier to cope with than the stinging sensation of the lighter ones. For details on using a flogger see Running the Scene: Flogging.

* The Standard Flogger is a many-tailed whip with a solid handle. The tail is made from leather straps of medium weight. A basic leather flogger is a good device for novices because it is relatively safe, and fairly easy to use.
* Martinets are small floggers of French design, usually having six leather tresses of the same length as the handle and originally intended for the punishment of juveniles.
* The Horsehair Flogger is made from hundreds (or even thousands) of strands of long hair taken from the horse's tail. At first glance, it doesn't look like much of a weapon, but each strand of hair whips into the skin, and the sensation is a stinging you won't soon forget.
* Improvised Floggers. You can easily improvise your own flogger by obtaining strips of the correct material such as leather (perhaps about 1cm (0.5") wide) and plaitting one end together. This will give you a fairly basic but nonetheless usable handle. Leather bootlaces are also a suitable and easily obtainable material, provided you can find them in lengths of 1m (3') or more.

Paddles

These are characterised by a broad, flat striking surface attached to a short handle and are designed to be used at short range on the buttocks. They are normally made of leather or wood, sometimes of rubber, in a variety of shapes and sizes; their origin is as a more comfortable alternative (for the top) to the palm of the hand and indeed some are even made in the shape of a hand, alongside popular shapes like rectangles and 'ping-pong bat'-style ovals.
Since the force of the blow is distributed across a wide area, it is very difficult to cut with paddles and the sensation is more diffused, though stinging can be achieved by directing the force laterally across the curve of the buttocks. Some leather or rubber paddles are reinforced inside with a rigid rod of wood or plastic that makes them more likely to bruise. The affinity of paddling with spanking sometimes leads them to be classed together, though obviously it is possible to be much more severe with an insensate implement than you could hope to be with the bare hand.


The Spencer Paddle is an oblong paddle about 45 x 10cm (17" x 4") and made of thin (8mm/0.25") plywood with holes drilled through its surface. Inventor Harold Spencer, a schoolteacher in the Eastern U.S in the 1930s, reasoned that a solid paddle created an air cushion that softened the blow, and that holes would allow the air to escape, giving a firmer connection.
* Slappers are made by hinging another flap of leather over the upper side of the striking surface. The result is to create a very loud and distinctive slapping noise, and to lend a little extra weight and a secondary impact.
* Wooden Spoons and Spatulas are everyday kitchen 'pervertibles' that can be used as mini-paddles: choose the lighter, smaller kind with the broadest business end and make sure the surface is smooth and splinter-free (sand down if necessary). Spoons feel more intense, spatulas have more a slap. Can be used lightly and subtly, including on areas other than buttocks: try light, repeated strokes on thighs. Short, light wooden or plastic rulers (30cm/1') can be used in a similar way; longer metre (3') rules or yardsticks are more unwieldy but very dramatic. Be aware that some of them have metal ferrules protecting the ends.
* Other Improvised paddles. Before the purpose-built paddle, other objects were resorted to by the sore-palmed corporal punisher; as the name suggests, boat paddles may have been the inspiration, though they could be rather heavy and unwieldy. The slipper was a monotonously regular form of retribution exerted on the British comic book character Dennis the Menace: proper leather slippers with a reasonably stiff sole are required, and the rubber soles of traditional gym shoes or 'plimsolls' were once put to this use in some schools. Plastic and wooden beach spades have their uses, and anyone with minimal DIY skills will be able to produce their own paddles from plywood or chipboard sheets sawed into the correct shape.

Riding Whips

These usually consist of a long rod of cane or fibreglass covered in leather or fabric, thickening at one end for a handle (perhaps with a loop of leather to help secure the grip) and terminating in a thin, flexible tress such as wound cord or a leather tongue. Only the thin end is intended to contact with the horse; the length is to allow enough leverage for it to be accelerated rapidly with a controlled flick of the wrist without causing the rider balancing problems. With consensual games on humans, however, these whips can be used in all kinds of different ways, and once mastered they are probably the most adaptable contact toys of all. The end can be used for cutting and stinging, and wielded with much more power than would be advisable on horseback; the solid length can also be used in a similar way to a cane. Best of all, they are widely and cheaply available from sports and tack suppliers, so there's no need to pay a perve shop premium. Try a few to find one with good balance.

* The Riding Crop is a basic toy that is an essential for beginners, usually around 60cm (2') long and terminated in a loop of leather. Broader leather loops have an additional use: they are ideal for careful ball beating. Some crops have two tongues like a miniature slapper (see Paddles above).
* The Lunge Whip or Quirt is designed for use with carts and coaches, providing extra length so that the driver can reach the horses - 90-120cm (3'-4') - and terminated in a wound cord tress. They look very dramatic and although they are not as adaptable as crops, they can cause intense stinging in skilled hands. They are, however, prone to breakages and the tresses can easily become unwound.

Straps and Belts

Belts, doubled over and gripped at the buckle end, are a traditional weapon of parental discipline. Lighter, softer leather about 25cm (1") thick is most effective, and obviously studded belts should be avoided. A number of other purpose-made articles have been adapted from the belt.

* The Strap, sometimes used in education, is a simple strip of leather. A shorter strip (30cm/1') is more controllable.
* The Tawse has elements of both straps and paddles: it is leather with a handle and a striking surface cut into fingers. The traditional instrument used for punishing Scottish schoolchildren and young offenders had two fingers, each about 5cm (2"); other models have more.

Whips

Single-tressed (single-tailed) implements usually made of whipcord or leather. Despite their popular associations with SM, real whips are rare in scenes because they are very difficult to use and can be very dangerous. The characteristic 'crack' of a whip is produced when the tip breaks the sound barrier and even a light object moving at such a velocity has the power to slice flesh to the bone. Being able to use one responsibly means a good deal of practise and in most cases they are best left as decorations on the dungeon wall. A discussion on single-tailed whips is serialised in Leather Online.

* Bullwhips, familiar from their circus use, are the longest and most lethal whips, made of plaited leather and 2m (6') or more in length. Swinging such a whip safely requires a large amount of space and they are completely useless in the average playroom. Those interested in bullwhip skills can check out the Bullwhip FAQ.
* Signal whips are similar to bullwhips but much shorter -- less than 1m (3') -- and therefore slightly safer and more suited to the playroom, though they still require a good degree of skill to control. They were originally designed to control dog teams.
* Lashes are usually single-tressed whips, or a general term for whips. See 'Lashing' in the definitions above.

Back to the Top

Links and Resources
Flagellation Links

* Adam and Gillian's Sensual Whips and Toys - US high-quality whipmakers' site has useful notes on various implements and a snazzy downloadable catalogue.
* The alt.sex.bondage FAQ page includes some notes on whipping, paddling and flogging.
* Bootboy's All About Whips - concise and well-illustrated guide (though sometimes difficult to access)
* The Bullwhip FAQ - This Circus Skills page has a surprising amount of interest to SMers!
* Colin Farrell's World CP Research Site - Extensive material on 'real-life' corporal punishment from around the world, lovingly presented by a true enthusiast.
* Leather Online has Master Al's tutorial on single-tailed whips
* MHW - Real Whips - Australian craftsman offers hand-made implements
* Santa Barbara Paddle Company - another dedicated implement maker
* The Society for Human Sexuality archive has some material of interest, including Instructions on Flogging, Grim's Flogging FAQ and The Art of Flagellation.

Further Reading

* Basic safety information can be found in manuals like Califia 1988, Jacques 1993 and Wiseman 1992.
* A specialised article, worth hunting out, is Quartermaster 1991.
* The classic pornographic text on flagellation is Masoch.

Flagellation Physics

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgref.htm#Canes

Physically, what is happening during a beating is that energy is being transmitted from the top to the bottom's body surface. The cells are compressed, causing nerve cells sensitive to pressure to respond, and in most cases at least some of the cells are unable to absorb the energy and are damaged or destroyed, provoking a pain response too. Even fairly light beatings cause some tissue damage, though fortunately you can go a long way before damage to the surface becomes life-threatening: a greater danger is in damaging vital organs near the surface, which is why certain areas of the body should be avoided as explained in the notes on Safety.

The impact depends to a large extent on the amount of energy being transmitted, which in turn depends on factors like the force of the blow, the distance the implement travels and its velocity when it hits. The other important factor is the manner in which the energy is transmitted, which will vary according to the implement and the technique used. Some materials and designs are more efficient at this than others and will consequently require less effort for the same effect. A flexible implement will bounce, with a certain amount of energy reflected back, whereas a heavier, more rigid implement will not, and may cause deep bruising. However, a more flexible instrument will also be easier to accelerate: some of the most dangerous flagellation toys are whips, because the tip can move so fast. Something with a large contact area, like a paddle, will spread the energy, giving a more superficial effect across a wider area; something with a smaller contact area, like the tress of a flogger, will be more localised but more destructive, and particularly if it has sharp edges, is more likely to cut into the skin.

Tony de Blase (cited in Jacques 1993:229-230 and paraphrased slightly here) has summarised the physical factors involved in the effects of different toys as follows:

* Flexibility, from inflexible clubs and paddles to somewhat flexible rubber hoses, riding crops etc. to very flexible cats and bullwhips.
* Weight: consider a baseball bat versus a chopstick, a fly-swatter versus a paddle, a shot-loaded bullwhip versus a cheap paper-filled Mexican bullwhip and a deerskin cat versus a latigo leather cat.
* Contact surface: generally, for equal force, the thinner the implement, the more damage done. Surface characteristics -- a studded versus smooth paddle, flat versus rounded whip tails, knotted versus unknotted whip tails, smooth deerskin versus rough hemp rope etc. -- will also change the feel and force of the toy.
* The 'stroke' of the implement with its two distinct aspects, the sting and the thud. A light cat will give lots of sting but little thud, whereas a heavy rubber hose will give little sting and lots of thud. This can also vary with manner of use: a heavy whip laid across the back will give some sting and lots of thud, but, worked so only the cracker at its tip will hit the same back, will give virtually no thud but will cut the skin bloody.


Here is an overview of the various terms for activities covered in The Flagellation Factsheet.

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgref.htm#Canes

* Bastinado. Traditional form of punishment or torture involving beating the feet. The soles of the feat are very tender and anyone seeking to replicate this in an SM context is best advised to be very gentle and to use a soft whip or other light implement. See Safety: Where and where not to hit.
* Beating. Striking typically administered as punishment, particularly in connection with childhood punishments such as spanking, caning or belting but also used (perhaps more so in England, where some schools referred to corporal punishment with the cane as 'beating') of more 'adult' scenes like whipping. Can mean more 'violent', bruising striking such as punching, as in the expression 'beating up'.
* Belting. Striking with a belt. In everyday language, sometimes used more generally: "belting someone in the mouth" is more likely to involve the backs of the hands than a belt.
* Birching. Striking with a light wooden rod or bundle of twigs, traditionally from the birch tree.
* Caning. Striking with a cane, as in the traditional school punishment, normally across the buttocks. Some notes on caning technique are under Running the Scene: Caning.
* Corporal Punishment (CP). Originally, retributive punishment involving the infliction of pain, often though not exclusively through blows administered with some form of flexible object like a whip or cane, as practised in some legal systems and military and educational contexts and within some families, and now wholly or partially outlawed in many countries. The term can also include striking with the hands, an activity covered elsewhere under Spanking.
In an SM context, usually refers to caning or whipping of some sort, and often implies an element of role-playing derived from instances of 'real-life' CP in which the bottom is 'punished' for some real or imagined infraction, mimicking,say, (British) public school canings, naval floggings, parental 'woodshed discipline' or even a punitive fantasy entirely of the participants' own invention . In North America, the term is normally used in the narrower sense; in Britain it is sometimes used simply to describe the physical activities of caning and whipping without necessarily implying roleplaying or a 'punishment' element.
* Flagellation (Flag, Fladge). Latin flagellare, to whip, is from flagellum, the diminuitive of flagrum, a scourge or whip, particularly one used in punishing slaves, and presumably with a stinging effect since it was used metaphorically to mean the sting of conscience. First used in English for the self-whipping of mediaeval religious flagellant cults, and later for other non-punitive beatings such as the 18th-century whippings of the mentally ill carried out as supposed medical treatments or the 'health-giving' birchings traditional in saunas. In the modern era used by psychologists and sometimes among practitioners to describe SM-related whipping etc. for erotic stimulation. Though currently out of fashion on the SM scene (the shortened forms sound very dated), and burdened with religious overtones, the term can still be used in its general sense.
* Flogging. A term that can be used for striking with a variety of different flexible implements, sometimes used as a general term for these sorts of activities. In British naval usage, a 'flogging' involved the use of a cat, in public schools it is most likely to require a cane, and it has also been used of riding whips, as the expression 'flogging a dead horse' attests. Today some SMers restrict the term to the use of the implement known as a flogger. Ideas on flogging scenes can be found in Running the Scene: Flogging.
* Lashing. Striking with a stinging long-tressed implement or lash. 'Lash' is also used of each stroke with such an implement, as when in 'real-life' corporal punishment an offender is sentenced to a certain number of lashes.
* Paddling. Striking with a paddle.
* Percussion Play. Recently-introduced term used by some SMers to group together all activities involving striking the body surface, not yet widely accepted and perhaps too general to be useful, including slapping, punching and pummelling beside activities like whipping and caning. Nothing to do with torturing someone by subjecting them to lengthy bongo solos.
* Scourging. Striking with a scourge, as once practised by religious flagellants (see above). Loosely used, the term suggests whipping severely enough to draw blood, and has religious overtones.
* Strapping. Striking with a strap, typically of leather.
* Whipping. Striking with a whip, or any object that can be used as a whip. Because of the wide variety of implements covered by the term 'whip' the expression can be used very generally; although it's not likely to include the use of less flexible implements like canes and paddles, there are extensions of meaning, as in the expression 'pistol-whipping'.

Types of Floggings

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fsflgprc.htm#Flogging


As a part of standard scene negotiations, the parties involved should agree on the basic nature of the flogging, as there are a variety of ways it can be approached. Some heavy masochists will want you to simply lay on strokes hard, fast, and mercilessly. Most bottoms, however, need time to build up endorphins and to adjust to the intense sensations they are experiencing.

Applied lightly, a flogger can mentally and physically relax the subject, very much like a massage. Blood is brought to the surface of the skin, the flesh is warmed and circulation is stimulated. It creates a very noticeable and distinctive state of mind and body, very near to the meditative state one reaches in transcendental meditation or other forms of deep relaxation. Heavy floggers are more effective if this is your goal.

Discuss goals and expectations with your partner before you begin. If you're not on the same wavelength, what could be a great experience is doomed from the start.

Posture

The bottom should be positioned with his or her back to the top. A standing position, leaning slightly forward, is most comfortable for both parties. Ideally, the subject can be restrained (or simply leaned) against a St. Andrew's Cross or alternatively s/he can lean against a wall, with both hands placed against it.

There are many possible postures for the top, and you'll have to experiment to find one comfortable for you. The most important thing is that you strike as accurately as possible. I often stand well back from the boy, with my left foot forward, in order to take a full step toward him and lay down a hard cracking stroke. It looks something like throwing a pitch in a baseball game, although lifting the leg is a little too dramatic even for me.

Hold the flogger in your dominant hand. Your grip should be firm but your wrist and arm must not be rigid, as a fluid motion assists in accuracy and control. Experiment to see where on the handle to grip. Holding the handle near the end will allow for the most forceful blows, but may be more difficult to control for beginners. The flogger should feel well balanced, and it should swing with a minimum of effort. Good balance is one of the differences between a cheap flogger and a good flogger.

Flogging in Progress

You will probably want to start out with light, slow, caressing strokes. Allow your bottom to become comfortable with the way the flogger feels. These strokes can be nearly anywhere on the body, although I would avoid the head and face no matter how light the strokes. An experienced bottom will use this time to psychologically prepare for the events to come. A sense of anticipation will probably rise in both partners. Enjoy it, feel its near tangibility, let the flogger kiss the flesh, linger lightly, stroke, tease and arouse. There's plenty of time for pain later - a good flogging must not be rushed or hurried.

Some bottoms expect to be pushed to their limits, or beyond. Sometimes a flogging is a challenge, a test of strength and stamina, and the bottom will respect you for pushing the envelope. My boy considers a good flogging one in which he is sorely tempted to safe out but does not. My goal, then, is to read his reactions carefully, and gauge my responses accordingly. I play along a razor's edge. Too tame and it seems trivial and senseless, lacking a certain je ne sais quoi like soup without salt, and at worst a complete waste of time. On the other hand, too fierce and the enjoyment can disappear just as quickly. The type of flogging we both enjoy requires a kind of nonverbal communication that comes only with time.

Obviously, this is my preference, but it is not a universal one. Your Mileage May Vary.

Aftercare

A flogging is a very intense experience for both the bottom and the top. The bottom, however, bears the brunt of the physical trauma. Realize that he or she may be experiencing a very intense emotional and psychological high; for some it can be a spiritual experience. You as the top are your bottom's anchor to reality, and their guide. You are responsible for them. You must bring them back safely to themselves.

When the time has come to wind the scene down, don't just drop the floor out from under your bottom, leaving him or her to come down unguided and uncontrolled. Instead, allow external reality to slowly reassert itself.

There are several ways to handle aftercare. You can simply lessen the severity of your strokes gradually, which will let the bottom come down. You can "talk" the bottom down. You can switch to a different flogger. The point is that you take the time to bring the bottom down slowly.

What do I do? I take a more intimate approach, which is extremely effective and enjoyable, particularly because a flogging is more than just an SM scene for Donn and I. I stop flogging when I know he is about to safe out and notify him in a clear, strong voice that "it's over, boy." Then I approach slowly to where he is hanging slack-armed from the cross, limp and worn out, shaking and shivering, chest heaving and face flushed, and invariably crying with great sobs that wrack his frame. I enfold him lovingly in my arms and let him collapse against me, knowing that not only is it over, but he has made it through -- that he has my approval and my love -- and that in my arms, always, he is safe. "Thank You, SIR! Thank You, SIR! Thank You SIR!" he says over and over, perhaps with more sincerity than at any other time. There's no other time quite so special to me.

Electroplay Safety

http://public.diversity.org.uk/deviant/fseleref.htm

Safety first

Electrical toys must not be used above the waist, or more accurately, above the navel. Some people maintain that as long as both terminals are on the same arm this is safe, too, but personally I feel that it's pushing safety a bit.

Making good contact between the skin and the electrodes is vital -- more on how to do that later. If you don't do this, you won't get good results with TENS units, while you might get electrical burns from some of the bigger toys like hand crank magnetos.

You also need to know that the smaller the contact point, the more intense the sensation -- clips and clamps feel quite different than a contact pad! So always start at low power and work up slowly.

Another very important safety point is not to tie someone tightly when using electricity. You will be stimulating their muscles either directly, or make them jump with the sensations. They could injure themselves easily if they can't move. People react differently, so a setting that might make your leg twitch might cause a major leg movement in another -- consider this when tieing someone.

Please note that I am only addressing TENS, EMS (passive muscle stimulators sold to people too lazy to do sit-ups) and similar units in this piece -- hand crank magnetos (yummy), cattle prods (yuck) or stun guns (double YUCK) must not be used as described below.

Bump for any who might have things to add.

Anyone who has reliable info, please feel free to add it to this thread.

Catalina

Awesome thread...

MasterPhoenix said:

Awesome thread...

Click to expand...

Needs more work than I seem to have time for of late.

Catalina

Bumped on request.

Ooh I like this thread, very informative indeed.

Thankyou

It looks like this is a good home for this.

Playing with Sounds: Putting things is a cock - written for play "in" males, most info also for play "in" females...

I have been asked several questions about sounds play. I decided to post this in hopes it can be a good starting place for interested people to do research before starting with insertion play. No doubt there are other opinions and experiences. Please, add to the discussion. I offer this and say “Your Mileage May Vary” and “Play Safe”

At the direction of Kaye Buckley in San Francisco, I created this from several sources and my own experience. It was used for her class at QSM: “Pushing Limits with Creative Phallic Play”
URETHRA INSERTION PLAY

Over the past several years I have learned a few things about play involving the placement of “things” in a cock, well actually I have unselfishly volunteered my own cock as the testing ground. This outlines some of the things I have found out. Please know that I am not in any way a trained medical professional.

THE TURN ON

As a source of exceptional sexual stimulation, sounds can be a wonderful edge play toy. The thought of something going IN a cock is a real mind fuck. The feel is exquisite and nearly indescribable. There is some discomfort, a little stinging, but there is also sensation in parts of the body normally unfelt, sensations that can be very sexual, sensations that feel like they are at the very depth of my being. As a self-play toy, manipulating sounds in my cock allow for very subtle but profound sensations. In the hands of someone else, they bring a profound sense of trust and surrender of control to the play. Sounds can be a wonderful “power exchange” tool, especially if the owner of the cock it tied down. There is "something" about seeing a sound being put if your cock that adds to the experience.

Using sounds the size of the urethra is considered sensation play. When you start stretching the urethra the sensation changes considerably and can be considered pain play.

THE RISKS

Anything going into the urethra has the potential of being very dangerous if there is contamination. Bacteria can cause severe infection of the bladder and can ultimately affect the kidneys. Other infections can also be difficult to clear up and require medical attention.

The urethra can be bruised, scraped and/or punctured. Internal organ such as the prostrate and/or the bladder can be damager. Item that are too small (short) can be lost and require emergency room attention.

SAFETY GUIDELINES
Be sure everything you use for urethral insertion play is clean – sterile if possible. NEVER USE an un-sterilized item to enter the bladder. There is some controversy about the level of cleanliness required for this sort of play. I have found references to three levels of cleanliness. Inform yourself about all levels before you decide how to handle your own sounds play.

1.It is optimum to have the sounds sterilized in an autoclave.

2. Next best is to use a pressure cooker. (On the Safe Edge by Trevor Jacques outlines a system that works at home) Here is my take on that system.
Clean and wash all instruments carefully before sterilizing them. This is especially true if your instruments have been used on someone before. Use lots of detergent, water, and bleach. If these are contaminated items, wear latex gloves as you handle them. The steam under pressure raises the temperature in the sterilization chamber to kill all pathogens. The killing process is a function of Time and Pressure. Pressure Cookers reach a temperature of 250o F or 121o C at a pressure of 15 pounds and requires 30 minutes for the process to be effective.
This article will only deal with pressure cookers for the sterilization of steel instruments or other not heat sensitive items. Do not try to sterilize latex items or liquids. Pick a pressure cooker of sufficient size to hold the instruments you wish to use. If you are using sounds and/or dilators the pressure cooker should have an inside diameter of at least 12 inches.

Put your instruments in the pressure cooker, sterilize them, let them cool and use them right out of the pressure cooker.

A pressure cooker does not have a drying cycle! If you wish to package your instruments for later use after sterilization, they must be dry before you can safely handle them without contaminating them. For this process before placing the sounds in the pressure cooker, after cleaning them as outlined above, I place them inside two small paper bags – one bag inside the other bag and wrap them closed. I have found a little masking tape works well. Wrapped now so that no part of the sound is exposed I place them in the pressure cooker and follow regular instructions. Once cooking is finished, using tongs, I remove the wet bags being careful not to open them in any way. The bags are places on an over rack in a 250 deg oven for about 2 hours. This should completely dry them out. As long as the bag in not torn, once cooled this can be placed in a plastic bag for future use.

3. Some suggest that if the sounds are only for one persons play they can be safely washed with hot water and detergent, followed by 30 minuets of vigorous boiling. They should be then wrapped in a sterilized wrapping and stored away from contaminants.

Be sure to wash the head on the cock with alcohol and wear latex gloves.

Expect your first piss after play to sting, if fact after my first play I stung for a full day. I sorta look forward to it now. If you see a little blood, STOP. If you are still seeing blood in a day or so go to the doctor. If you see allot of blood go to the doctor NOW and tell them exactly what you were doing.

Do not mix ass play with sounds play. Little things that are fine in your ass play havoc in your cock. Be very careful about cross contamination.

Do not use lube that has been used in any sort of other play, even your own. Lube can be easily contaminated while being used. Use water-based sterile lube to aid urethra insertion play. DO NOT use lubes that contain nonoxynol-9 or any flavored lubes.

DO NOT masturbate with the sound inserted. There are a lot of nerves in the urethra canal that can be damaged. (open to much discussion)

The broadest guideline is to go slowly until you know how much you can take. Not only can you do considerable damage if you try and force it in - you just plain will *not* enjoy it.

Sounds are made of metal and are unforgiving. When you introduce a sound into the urethra, you are dealing with soft tissues and therefore the tissues move around to accommodate the sound. ONLY use smooth blunt items. NEVER use wood, glass or plastic items. Only use items that have rounded ends. Do not use items that are very thin or pointed.

Do not insert anything into a bound or tied cock.

Never try to insert or remove a curved sound when the cock is hard. Start all sounds play with a limp cock.

If you encounter a blockage, DO NOT attempt to push past it. Once you reach the bladder, the sound will stop. Other blockages could be scar tissue.

Start with a sound the SAME size as the urethra opening and gradually work up in size. As the size increases your urethra will dilate somewhat. It should return to normal in a little while. Just be aware that the longer you leave it in the longer it will take to return to it's original size.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Sounds (also called Uterine Dilators) are metal rods used in the medical community to dilate urethras. Urethral sounds are manufactured for the sole purpose of opening urethral strictures which can develop for a variety of reasons from just plain old age to scar tissue. They come in carefully metered graduated sizes. Hegars and Pratts are designed for medical use on women, Dittels and Van Burens are designed for medical use on men.

Several styles are used in D/S S/M play. There is conflicting information about what the styles are called that are sold by Mr. S Leather in San Francisco, CA (415-863-7798) and LeatherMaters in San Jose, CA (408-293-7660) for about $20.00 at each. I found a surgical supply firm that was willing to copy several pages from medical catalogues and they are attached - this information will clarify the names of the different styles. There are also many web site now offering sounds.

The most commonly sold sounds are Hegar Uterine Dilators. They are 7 1/2” long, have a gentle “S” curve to them, and are two sized - that is, each Hegar has one half that is larger than the other half. I started with a 5-6. It is about the size of a small diameter drinking straw, the next size I got was a 7-8, about the size of a large drinking straw. I am now wording on the 9-10, the 9 is a nice fit - can’t do 10 yet. The 17-18 is thumb sized and I can’t even look at it (well, at least not for long). Pratts are longer and straighter than Hegars and are starting to show up in some stores. I have my own set of Pratts now and prefer them to Hegars. They are heavier and go farther into my body.

Hegars and Pratts can be inserted in an erect cock.

I have also had some experience with Van Burens. They are 11” long with a flat handle on one end, and a 90 degree bend at the inserting end. They are for going all the way to the bladder and cannot be inserted in an erect cock. They come in 17 sizes - 8,10,12,14........40. Some are tapered all the way up, some get to “size” soon and stay the same size the rest of the way. A 22 Van Buren is about the diameter of a 7 Hegar. The buzz using the Van Buren is going through the prostrate and up to the bladder. They are not to be played with without great caution!

Dittels are rather like Van Burens without the bend in the end. I have no experience with Dittels but they appear to be able to work with an erect cock.

Actually Hegars and Pratts are called dilators. Hegar sizes are marked as 3-4mm, 5-6mm, etc. Van Burens and Dittels are called sounds. Pratts, Van Burens and Dittels are marked as 8Fr, 10Fr, etc (Fr refers to French). Most leather stores call them all sounds.

Thanks for the great contribution Shankara.

Catalina http://home.versatel.nl/topdownloads/erotiek/25.gif

Great job writing something that really does also mostly apply to females!

OK, I thought we had included sexual health here, but must have been thinking of a discussion elsewhere so here goes for a basic rundown on the more common concerns, some of which many people are not always aware of. If anyone wants to add anything, please feel free.

HERPES

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak, but not always.
Some of the accompanying symptoms which can be experienced when herpes is contracted are swollen glands, fever, headache, burning or pain when passing urine, and muscle aches. In 80-90% of women, the virus infects the cervix and can result in discharge.

Herpes can also affect any part of the body where there is skin, and can also infect the eyes. An outbreak during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, or cause severe brain damage or blindness in the baby. There is no cure, and it is one of the most common STD's, affecting more women than men...in the US 1 in 4 people are said to carry the virus, with 90% carrying oral herpes and 20% genital herpes with 1 person contracting the virus every 30 seconds. The average number of outbreaks in a person with the virus is 4-5 times a year. Once contracted, subsequent outbreaks can be triggered by a number of events including stress, illness, surgery, vigorous sex, diet, and monthly period.

HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be found in and released from the sores that the viruses cause, but they also are released between outbreaks from skin that does not appear to be broken or to have a sore. Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.

HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but it more commonly causes infections of the mouth and lips, so-called "fever blisters." HSV-1 infection of the genitals can be caused by oral-genital or genital-genital contact with a person who has HSV-1 infection. Genital HSV-1 outbreaks recur less regularly than genital HSV-2 outbreaks.

Common symptoms of the initial outbreak of herpes include skin on or near the sex organ becoming inflamed... Skin may burn, itch or be painful; blister-like sores appear on or near the sex organs; sores open, scab over, and then heal.

For pics incase you think it is not much to worry about go here
and here and here


HIV & AIDS

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus causes AIDS, and is an infection of the immune system which destroys the body's ability to fight off infections. HIV may also enter a cell then remain quiet for a long time and drug therapy only destroys the active virus. HIV infects the cells (T Lymphocytes) of the immune system weakening the entire system.

HIV has been located in fluids such as:

* blood
* breast milk
* saliva
* semen
* tears
* vaginal fluids

It appears that the disease can only be transmitted through:

* blood
* blood products
* sexual fluids

People can be infected and NOT look sick or even have AIDS but can still transmit HIV.

The AIDS virus is transmitted from one person to another through several methods:

* Blood or blood products
* Mother to infant
* Sexual contact
* Sharing of needles or syringes

The virus can be spread in:

* Artificial insemination with semen from an infected person
* Body fluids including sperm
* Oral sex

The infection can be spread from unprotected sex (sex without condoms) with an infected partner, including:

* anal intercourse
* oral intercourse
* vaginal intercourse

and is spread from:

* men to men
* men to women
* women to men
* women to women

The virus can enter the body during sex through the:

* lining of the vagina
* mouth
* penis
* rectum
* vulva

You are also at greater risk if you have another sexually transmitted disease such as:

* Bacterial Vaginosis
* Chlamydia
* Gonorrhea
* Herpes
* Syphilis


HIV has been detected in the saliva of infected individuals, however, no evidence exists that the virus is spread by contact with saliva. Tests show saliva has natural compounds that inhibit the infectiousness of HIV. No evidence has been found that the virus is spread to others through saliva such as by kissing. No one knows, however, the risk of infection from so-called "deep" kissing, involving the exchange of large amounts of saliva.

HIV has not been found to spread through:

* feces
* sweat
* tears
* urine

AIDS can lay dormant until years after infection, and in untreated cases the average time for the disease to develop is 10 years or more.

HIV infection is also associated with an acute illness in most infected persons. This illness, called acute HIV infection begins within 1-3 weeks of exposure, and usually involves a combination of symptoms.

* HIV present in large quantities in genital secretions
* Symptoms are often mistaken for those of other viral infection and are very infectious during this period
* Symptoms may not surface for years after HIV first enters the body in adults, or within 2 years in children born with HIV

Period of asymptomatic infection is highly variable with some people:

* beginning symptoms within a few months
* having no symptoms for 10 years or more
* having symptoms resolve themselves within 1-3 weeks

Though progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and some people have had their life expectancy increased and health maintenance improved, it is still not a disease you want to contract and have to deal with.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which can damage a woman's reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man. It is the most frequently reported STD in the US.

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth.

Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of infection. Because the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, they are at particularly high risk for infection if sexually active. Since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex, men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection.

Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

In women, the bacteria initially infect the cervix and the urethra (urine canal). Women who have symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), some women still have no signs or symptoms; others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods. Chlamydial infection of the cervix can spread to the rectum.

Men with signs or symptoms might have a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis. Pain and swelling in the testicles are uncommon.

Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner.

If untreated, chlamydial infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent."

In women, untreated infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus). Women infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed.

To help prevent the serious consequences of chlamydia, screening at least annually for chlamydia is recommended for all sexually active women age 25 years and younger. An annual screening test also is recommended for older women with risk factors for chlamydia (a new sex partner or multiple sex partners). All pregnant women should have a screening test for chlamydia.

Complications among men are rare. Infection sometimes spreads to the epididymis (a tube that carries sperm from the testis), causing pain, fever, and, rarely, sterility.

Rarely, genital chlamydial infection can cause arthritis that can be accompanied by skin lesions and inflammation of the eye and urethra (Reiter's syndrome).

Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) are the most commonly used treatments. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV negative.

All sex partners should be evaluated, tested, and treated. Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual intercourse until they and their sex partners have completed treatment, otherwise re-infection is possible.

Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple infections increases a woman's risk of serious reproductive health complications, including infertility. Retesting should be considered for women, especially adolescents, three to four months after treatment. This is especially true if a woman does not know if her sex partner received treatment.

Latex male condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of chlamydia.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by a virus which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV).

One out of 20 people in the United States have been infected with HBV some time during their lives. In 2004, an estimated 60,000 people were infected with HBV. People of all ages get hepatitis B and about 5,000 die each year from sickness caused by HBV.

HBV is spread by having sex with an infected person. You are at risk of HBV infection by sexual contact if you:

* are a sex partner of someone who is infected with HBV
* are sexually-active and are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship (e.g., you have had more than one sex partner in the previous 6 months)
* have other STDs
* are a man having sex with a man

HBV is spread by exposure to infected blood from skin puncture or contact with mucous membranes. You are at risk of HBV infection from these exposures if you:

* live in the same house with someone who is infected with HBV and share personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, etc…
* shoot drugs
* have a job that involves contact with human blood or body fluids
* have end stage kidney disease

HBV is spread from an infected mother to her infant during birth.

HBV is not spread through food or water, sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, coughing, sneezing, or casual contact.

Sometimes a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. Older people are more likely to have symptoms. You might be infected with HBV (and be spreading the virus) and not know it.

If you have symptoms, they might include yellow skin or yellowing of the whites of your eyes (jaundice); tiredness; loss of appetite; nausea; abdominal discomfort; dark urine; grey-colored bowel movements; or joint pain.

Some people who become infected with HBV develop chronic (lifelong) infection.
Chronic infection increases the risk for cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and liver failure. About 15%-25% of people with chronic HBV infection might die prematurely from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are no medications available for recently acquired (acute) HBV infection. There are antiviral drugs available for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.

Hepatitis B vaccine is the best prevention against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all infants, for children and adolescents who were not vaccinated as infants, and for all unvaccinated adults who are at risk for HBV infection as well as any adult who wants to be protected against HBV infection.

Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, may reduce the risk of HBV transmission.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A, caused by infection with HAV, has an incubation period of approximately 28 days (range: 15–50 days). HAV replicates in the liver and is shed in high concentrations in feces from 2 weeks before to 1 week after the onset of clinical illness. HAV infection produces a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection or chronic liver disease. However, 10%–15% of patients might experience a relapse of symptoms during the 6 months after acute illness. Acute liver failure from hepatitis A is rare (overall case-fatality rate: 0.5%). The risk for symptomatic infection is directly related to age, with >80% of adults having symptoms compatible with acute viral hepatitis and the majority of children having either asymptomatic or unrecognized infection. Antibody produced in response to HAV infection persists for life and confers protection against reinfection.

HAV infection is primarily transmitted by the fecal-oral route, by either person-to-person contact, or through consumption of contaminated food or water. Although viremia occurs early in infection and can persist for several weeks after onset of symptoms, bloodborne transmission of HAV is uncommon. HAV occasionally might be detected in saliva in experimentally infected animals, but transmission by saliva has not been demonstrated.

Because transmission of HAV during sexual activity probably occurs because of fecal-oral contact, measures typically used to prevent the transmission of other STDs (e.g., use of condoms) do not prevent HAV transmission. In addition, efforts to promote good personal hygiene have not been successful in interrupting outbreaks of hepatitis A. Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing HAV transmission among persons at risk for infection, many of whom might seek services in STD clinics.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States; approximately 2.7 million persons are chronically infected. Persons newly infected with HCV typically are either asymptomatic or have a mild clinical illness. HCV RNA can be detected in blood within 1–3 weeks after exposure. The average time from exposure to antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) seroconversion is 8–9 weeks, and anti-HCV can be detected in >97% of persons by 6 months after exposure. Chronic HCV infection develops in 60%–85% of HCV-infected persons; 60%–70% of chronically infected persons have evidence of active liver disease. The majority of infected persons might not be aware of their infection because they are not clinically ill. However, infected persons serve as a source of transmission to others and are at risk for CLD or other HCV-related chronic diseases for decades after infection.

HCV is most efficiently transmitted through large or repeated percutaneous exposure to infected blood (e.g., through transfusion of blood from unscreened donors or through use of injecting drugs), although less efficient, occupational, perinatal, and sexual exposures also can result in transmission of HCV.

The role of sexual activity in the transmission of HCV has been controversial. Case-control studies have reported an association between acquiring HCV infection and exposure to a sex contact with HCV infection or exposure to multiple sex partners. Surveillance data also indicate that 15%–20% of persons reported with acute HCV infection have a history of sexual exposure in the absence of other risk factors (204,208). Case reports of acute HCV infection among HIV-positive MSM who deny injecting-drug use have indicated that this occurrence is frequently associated with other STDs (e.g., syphilis) (209,210). In contrast, a low prevalence (average: 1.5%) of HCV infection has been demonstrated in studies of long-term spouses of patients with chronic HCV infection who had no other risk factors for infection, and multiple published studies have demonstrated the prevalence of HCV infection among MSM who have not reported a history of injecting-drug use to be no higher than that of heterosexuals (211–213). Because sexual transmission of bloodborne viruses is more efficient among homosexual men compared with heterosexual men and women, the reason that HCV infection rates are not substantially higher among MSM compared with heterosexuals is unclear. Overall, these findings indicate that sexual transmission of HCV is possible but inefficient. Additional data are needed to determine whether sexual transmission of HCV might be increased in the context of HIV infection or other STDs. No vaccine for hepatitis C is available, and prophylaxis with immune globulin is not effective in preventing HCV infection after exposure.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/hepatitis-c.htm

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix , uterus , and fallopian tubes in women, and in the urethra in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.

Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease with estimates that more than 700,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year.

Gonorrhea is spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery.

Any sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea. In the United States, the highest reported rates of infection are among sexually active teenagers, young adults, and African Americans.

Although many men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all, some men have some signs or symptoms that appear two to five days after infection; symptoms can take as long as 30 days to appear. Symptoms and signs include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. Sometimes men with gonorrhea get painful or swollen testicles.

In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they can be so non-specific as to be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. The initial symptoms and signs in women include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms.

Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. Rectal infection also may cause no symptoms. Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat but usually causes no symptoms.

Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men. In women, gonorrhea is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). About one million women each year in the United States develop PID. Women with PID do not necessarily have symptoms. When symptoms are present, they can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever. PID can lead to internal abscesses (pus-filled “pockets” that are hard to cure) and long-lasting, chronic pelvic pain. PID can damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube.

In men, gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles that can lead to infertility if left untreated.

Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life threatening. In addition, people with gonorrhea can more easily contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV-infected people with gonorrhea are more likely to transmit HIV to someone else.

If a pregnant woman has gonorrhea, she may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby.

Several antibiotics can successfully cure gonorrhea in adolescents and adults. However, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing in many areas of the world, including the United States, and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult. Because many people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia, another sexually transmitted disease, antibiotics for both infections are usually given together.

Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. People who have had gonorrhea and have been treated can get the disease again if they have sexual contact with persons infected with gonorrhea.

Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of gonorrhea.

Syphilis

Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils.

Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. Although transmission appears to occur from persons with sores who are in the primary or secondary stage, many of these sores are unrecognized. Thus, most transmission is from persons who are unaware of their infection.

Primary Stage
The primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre), but there may be multiple sores. The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from 10 to 90 days (average 21 days). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks, and it heals without treatment. However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage
Skin rash and mucous membrane lesions characterize the secondary stage. This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. The rash usually does not cause itching. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear as the chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed. The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. In addition to rashes, symptoms of secondary syphilis may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and late stages of disease.

Late Stage
The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body. In the late stages of syphilis, it may subsequently damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This internal damage may show up many years later. Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

The syphilis bacterium can infect the baby of a woman during her pregnancy. Depending on how long a pregnant woman has been infected, she may have a high risk of having a stillbirth (a baby born dead) or of giving birth to a baby who dies shortly after birth. An infected baby may be born without signs or symptoms of disease. However, if not treated immediately, the baby may develop serious problems within a few weeks. Untreated babies may become developmentally delayed, have seizures, or die.

Genital sores (chancres) caused by syphilis make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV infection sexually. There is an estimated 2- to 5-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV infection when syphilis is present.

Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year. For people who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. There are no home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that will cure syphilis. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.

Because effective treatment is available, it is important that persons be screened for syphilis on an on-going basis if their sexual behaviors put them at risk for STDs.

Persons who receive syphilis treatment must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed. Genital ulcer diseases, like syphilis, can occur in both male and female genital areas that are covered or protected by a latex condom, as well as in areas that are not covered. Correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of syphilis, as well as genital herpes and chancroid, only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected.

Condoms lubricated with spermicides (especially Nonoxynol-9 or N-9) are no more effective than other lubricated condoms in protecting against the transmission of STDs. Based on findings from several research studies, N-9 may itself cause genital lesions, providing a point of entry for HIV and other STDs. In June 2001, the CDC recommended that N-9 not be used as a microbicide or lubricant during anal intercourse. Transmission of a STD, including syphilis cannot be prevented by washing the genitals, urinating, and or douching after sex.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/STDFact-Syphilis.htm

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects both women and men, although symptoms are more common in women and is the most common curable STD in young, sexually active women.

Trichomoniasis is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. The vagina is the most common site of infection in women, and the urethra (urine canal) is the most common site of infection in men. The parasite is sexually transmitted through penis-to-vagina intercourse or vulva-to-vulva (the genital area outside the vagina) contact with an infected partner. Women can acquire the disease from infected men or women, but men usually contract it only from infected women.

Most men with trichomoniasis do not have signs or symptoms; however, some men may temporarily have an irritation inside the penis, mild discharge, or slight burning after urination or ejaculation.

Some women have signs or symptoms of infection which include a frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge with a strong odor. The infection also may cause discomfort during intercourse and urination, as well as irritation and itching of the female genital area. In rare cases, lower abdominal pain can occur. Symptoms usually appear in women within 5 to 28 days of exposure.

The genital inflammation caused by trichomoniasis can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV infection if she is exposed to the virus. Having trichomoniasis may increase the chance that an HIV-infected woman passes HIV to her sex partner(s). Latex male condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of trichomoniasis.

PID

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a general term that refers to infection of the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and other reproductive organs. It is a common and serious complication of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially chlamydia and gonorrhea. PID can damage the fallopian tubes and tissues in and near the uterus and ovaries. Untreated PID can lead to serious consequences including infertility, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in the fallopian tube or elsewhere outside of the womb), abscess formation, and chronic pelvic pain.

Each year in the United States, it is estimated that more than 1 million women experience an episode of acute PID. More than 100,000 women become infertile each year as a result of PID, and a large proportion of the ectopic pregnancies occurring every year are due to the consequences of PID. Annually more than 150 women die from PID or its complications.

PID occurs when bacteria move upward from a woman's vagina or cervix (opening to the uterus) into her reproductive organs. Many different organisms can cause PID, but many cases are associated with gonorrhea and chlamydia, two very common bacterial STDs. A prior episode of PID increases the risk of another episode because the reproductive organs may be damaged during the initial bout of infection.

Sexually active women in their childbearing years are most at risk, and those under age 25 are more likely to develop PID than those older than 25. This is because the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, increasing their susceptibilty to the STDs that are linked to PID.

The more sex partners a woman has, the greater her risk of developing PID. Also, a woman whose partner has more than one sex partner is at greater risk of developing PID, because of the potential for more exposure to infectious agents.

Women who douche may have a higher risk of developing PID compared with women who do not douche. Research has shown that douching changes the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) in harmful ways, and can force bacteria into the upper reproductive organs from the vagina.

Women who have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted may have a slightly increased risk of PID near the time of insertion compared with women using other contraceptives or no contraceptive at all. However, this risk is greatly reduced if a woman is tested and, if necessary, treated for STDs before an IUD is inserted.

Symptoms of PID vary from none to severe. When PID is caused by chlamydial infection, a woman may experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, while serious damage is being done to her reproductive organs. Because of vague symptoms, PID goes unrecognized by women and their health care providers about two thirds of the time. Women who have symptoms of PID most commonly have lower abdominal pain. Other signs and symptoms include fever, unusual vaginal discharge that may have a foul odor, painful intercourse, painful urination, irregular menstrual bleeding, and pain in the right upper abdomen (rare).

Prompt and appropriate treatment can help prevent complications of PID. Without treatment, PID can cause permanent damage to the female reproductive organs. Infection-causing bacteria can silently invade the fallopian tubes, causing normal tissue to turn into scar tissue. This scar tissue blocks or interrupts the normal movement of eggs into the uterus. If the fallopian tubes are totally blocked by scar tissue, sperm cannot fertilize an egg, and the woman becomes infertile. Infertility also can occur if the fallopian tubes are partially blocked or even slightly damaged. About one in eight women with PID becomes infertile, and if a woman has multiple episodes of PID, her chances of becoming infertile increase.

In addition, a partially blocked or slightly damaged fallopian tube may cause a fertilized egg to remain in the fallopian tube. If this fertilized egg begins to grow in the tube as if it were in the uterus, it is called an ectopic pregnancy. As it grows, an ectopic pregnancy can rupture the fallopian tube causing severe pain, internal bleeding, and even death.

Scarring in the fallopian tubes and other pelvic structures can also cause chronic pelvic pain (pain that lasts for months or even years). Women with repeated episodes of PID are more likely to suffer infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.

Giving this a little bump because Cat suggested that i come over here and post.

i can only think of a few things off the top of my head that i consider very important, both as a medical professional and a woman.

IRON!!! Make sure you are getting enough iron in your diet. Menstruating women lose 35% of their stored iron every month during their period. This iron must be replaced otherwise the body will begin running at a deficit. Iron deficiency can lead to tiredness, headaches, deep bruises that take a LONG time to heal, and problems recovering from injury or trauma to the body. Iron can be increased supplemented by certain foods (beans, spinach and other dark greens, iron fortified cereals, beef, and liver), or by taking an iron supplement. (SlowFE is the one i recommend. It is the gentlest on the digestive system.) Bruising from impact play will last much longer and be much more severe if you are anemic, and could actually lead to permanent tissue damage.

Now to one i cannot stress enough...being honest with your medical providers. For example, if you came into the ER at my hospital and i asked you how you got the bruises on your breasts...DO NOT INVENT A BULLSHIT STORY. As a nurse, i do not care about your sex life, so tell me the truth. Legally, if i doubt your story at all, i am required to call and report it as a potential abuse case. Which means you will no longer have to be worried about being honest with me, but with the police and even Child Services if there are children in the home. Save yourself the hassle, be honest. i can treat your medical issues better, and you avoid some legal problems. Dr's and nurses have heard/seen it all. Trust me when i say nothing will shock us.

On that note...IF a scene goes wrong, if there are problems that you and your partner do not know how to treat, if you can't stop bleeding, if something is stuck where it shouldn't be and you can't get it out...GO TO THE ER, and refer to what i wrote above. Do not let shame, fear etc keep you from getting medical help. Dr's and nurses are supposed to be your "friends." i know we all have Dr. horror stories and i will not sit here and pretend like all medical professionals are wonderful, but most do really want to help you. Trust that and get the help you need if the situation ever arises.



**steps off soapbox**

Massage is frequently a part of D/s play, used to prepare the skin and soft tissues for approaching stimulation, to relax a bottom before a scene, to begin endorphin release, and also as aftercare. For light, sensual massage, tecnique is mostly a simple matter of doing what feels good.

Some, however, will be interested in deeper tissue massage, both for sensation and for health benefits. I personally perform soft tissue manipulation on myself and my lifting partners when we train, and have gained relief from a number of recurring pain issues as a result, as well as producing better quality tissue overall.

When performing soft tissue manipulation, there are a few things to remember. The first is to avoid soft tissue manipulation with hard implements around joints. Always do deep pressure in a direction moving towards the heart. Veins have valves, and they are designed to flow one way, heartward. if you compress soft tissue and push, you compress veins, and push the blood in those veins. If you push towards the heart, the valves will act normally and release pressure as usual. If you apply pressure in a direction away from the heart you risk damaging those valves. Care should always be taken to avoid nerve sheath compression as well. It is possible to damage sheaths, cause adhesions, and worsen problems. My only advice here is learn your anatomy, which you should already hopefully be doing in the course of your normal education into our communal activities.

There are a couple of reason to examine soft tissue work. One is that it will increase your knowledge of anatomy, never a bad thing in this scene. Second is because you will better understand how soft tissue pain, and pain response, works. Again, the benefits are self-evident. third, you may well find yourself with a bottom (or top) that has chronic, distracting soft-tissue pain. The pain I give may be enjoyable, but that nagging problem in your elbow could be keeping you from full immersion and commitment to the scene. If I can relieve your pain a bit, then I am bettering your experience greatly. Lastly, soft tissue work produces better, more functional, more healthy tissue when performed correctly. More functional tissue is more flexible, more adaptive, and more resistant to injury. Personally, I want my submissive healthy and more resistant to injury, I don't know about you.

Another reason to learn about soft tissue manipulation is, well, it hurts. I've had a full-grown, muscular tough guy whining with tears in his eyes as I took The Stick to his tight hip flexors and aching hamstrings. Sure, that's normal to a Prodomme, but that same non-masochist guy regular asked for that treatment on lower body training days because it meant that he was able to walk without pain the next day. And that pain, while brutal at the time, feels soooo good. I know that I enjoy it.

And, hey, it's a time when the sadist me gets to play outside of the bedroom without anyone even batting an eye. It's not kink, it's sports therapy, kids. =)

I strongly suggest "The Trigger Point Therapy workbook" by Clair Davies. It is a fascinating, informative, and eminently readable text written with the layman in mind. Nope, it has nothing to do with kink, but a creative mind can gain a lot of insight from it, and a smart mind will recognise the health benefits within our activities. If you are interested, I also strongly suggest looking into "The Stick", google it. I have "The Monster Stick" which is the big version. My lifting buddies fear that thing more than my submissives fear the nastiest paddle I own, but they also want it and ask for it more often that than paddle gets asked for. (okay, that's starting to sound a bit creepy, even to me...)

Finally, a good flogging, caning, etc has a lot of common elements and results as soft tissue manipulation. I've flogged on my gals and felt for trigger points afterwards, and found them wonderfully relaxed and relieved. So is this work necessary? No, but it may prove helpful to you and yours. There are a number of people here dealing with recurring pain that could be helped as well.

Note: I am not a professional massage therapist, nor physical therapist. I've consulted with both, and learned from both, but I carry no licenses. Do your own research, and learn from someone who actually does know what they're doing. Which is just like everything else in this scene, eh?

Thanks for the contributions.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/1367647576_99db5be94d_t.jpg Catalina

Enemas

Thought it about time to post some safety information and links related to enemas....so here goes.

First link is Enema:Colon Hydrotherapy ,and this is some of the information from this site (there are pages of extensive and valueable advice from how to's, to safety during pregnanacy and nursing in terms of what not to use and take into the body through enemas.

"What is Enema?

Word "Enema" usually refers to a liquid that is forced (by low pressure) into the rectum, through anus, in order to induce bowel movement, or to wash/cleanse colon, or to re-populate colon with good bacteria, or to treat colon disease and colon related illness! Enema is an ancient remedy for all kinds of ailments, and especially for people suffering from serious injuries, constipation, poisoning, acute headache, flu, meningitis, parasites, measles, common cold, food poisoning.

If you take an enema on the Colema Board, it is then called "Colema". If you go to a professional Colonics Therapist, it is called "Colonics". In every case, it is a liquid inside your colon.

Some people think that Enema can only reach descending Colon. That is wrong. If you take enough water, and if you try to keep it as long as possible while massaging your abdomen, also while laying on the floor and rolling on the floor, enema water will reach every part of your colon. It may not happened when you take it the first time, but practice will help.

It is believed that ancient people were using enemas as far as 10 thousand years ago. Enema as a remedy survived test of time."

"What do I need to do an enema?

Enema Page: Feces Enema Yoghurt Enema Coffee Enema Cofee enem

To do an enema, you need:

time (from 15 min - 2 hours, depends on how many times you want to repeat the process)

Also, there are many different kinds of enema equipment. To do a small simple enema (to implant oil, or small amount of feces into your colon), you may need just a pear shaped douche that you will fill with enema liquid and you squeeze it into your rectum.

Or, to do a complete enema, you need enema bag (or bucket) with equipment. You can purchase it online or try to look in your local health food store or your local pharmacy.



Enema bag/bucket complete must contain:

1. enema bag (or enema bucket)
2. enema tube (connecting enema bag with enema nozzle)
3. tube clamp or stop cock - used for clamping the tube.
4. enema nozzle or tip (thin plastic, silicone, glass or stainless steel tube that will be inserted into anus). Nozzle is usually 5 - 8 cm long (2 - 3 in), and it is as thick as pencil. You are not suppose to insert the whole length!
5. enema liquid (you can use clean water, water + probiotics, water + yoghurt, water + Epsom salt, water + coffee, olive oil, vitamin E, castor oil, water + unrefined sea salt, water + herbal extracts, herbal tea, water + vinegar, water + freshly pressed juice (wheat grass juice, barley grass juice, carrot juice, herbal juices ,... ), oil with herbs, ozonated olive oil, ozonated water, ... )"


Enema Health and Safety ...

"Enema Safety


There are many different opinions on the use of enemas in our society. Although, many have a negative impression about enema, however, it is not a fact; enemas are very safe and good for our internal health.

As safety is very important, we should be confident on the healing tools we are using. Let us look at some of the major safety norms concerning enema.

Water:

In enema, water plays an important role and we should always use safe water for colon cleansing. Unfiltered, chlorinated water harms the colon lining and kills good microbes. Chemicals should be avoided in the use of enema because they irritate the colon tissues. When we use chemicals, some of it stays in the blood stream and loads up the work of the liver. Water should be filtered, preferably with a carbon based shower filter or a reverse osmosis system for best results.

When undergoing an enema, the process should be slow and one should not rush to end up the process soon. Mostly people can take 1-3 quarts of water into the colon but it should be done slowly - about one cup per minute. The temperature of water also plays an important role; so don't take in the water too cold because it can bring in lot of needless pain; on the other hand, if the water is too hot, it might harm the sensitive tissues of the colon. So, before using the water taste it by putting some water in your mouth.

Other aspects:

Now that we know what safe water is for colon cleansing, let us see other safety aspects associated with enema. We should always take care of the anus and rectum while inserting and taking out the tube. The anus and rectum tissues are very sensitive and if any mishandling is done, it might damage those tissues and this can aggravate hemorrhoids or anal fissures. Therefore, for insertion, one should use lubricants and soft nozzles or insertion catheters.

Never use the Enema Equipment with another person and doing so can result in sickness because one might contact the unhealthy microbes of the other person. Whenever you take this therapy in clinics, make sure that the equipment is disposable or well sterilized.

One should also know a bit about the physiology and anatomy of the colon; it helps a lot with safety measures. As we know, the inner tissues of the colon are very sensitive, highly absorptive and a place for many microorganisms. Considering these factors, it is highly recommended to use genuine essential oils for stimulation or therapeutic results. One may also use 1 teaspoon of sea salt per 1 quart of water to replenish electrolytes.

Keeping these safety measures in mind, go ahead and enjoy enema. "

Is Colon Cleansing Safe?

"Colon cleansing is the process of introducing gentle jets of water into the large intestine for washing away waste matter and toxins. But is colon cleansing safe and what exactly does it involve? Preserving colon health is imperative for many reasons, with the most important being the role of the large intestine in evacuating organic waste from the body. Roughly the shape of a large letter "M", the colon ranges in length from between four and a half to five and a half feet and is about two and a half inches wide. While the small intestine is wedged between the stomach and liver, the colon stops at the anus.

The colon is the portion of the digestive tract responsible for temporarily holding waste before it exits the body. Substandard colon health can impede the body's ability to properly dispose of waste. In fact, a contaminated colon can potentially lead to other medical conditions including:


* Digestive Disorder
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Problem Skin (acne)
* Fatigue



When properly administered, colon cleansing has proven to be very safe, especially with recent updates in equipment and technique. Enemas were the old-fashioned answer to the colon cleansing dilemma. Unfortunately, enemas are also to blame for many concerns over colon cleansing safety. Enemas differ from bowel irrigation in their value; enemas typically cleanse only the lower 20% of the colon. With roughly eighty percent of the large intestine left untreated by an enema, the procedure doesn’t provide the same effectiveness as modern colon hydrotherapy. Some of the health benefits associated with colonic irrigation:

* Removal of Trapped Fecal Matter
* Expulsion of harmful bacteria
* Encouraged growth of beneficial intestinal flora
* Improved colorectal muscular activity
* Expulsion of harmful organisms



Other than water irrigation, many variations of digestive health treatments have emerged with colon cleansing being the chief aim. In fact, you can now obtain colon cleansing supplements featuring organic compounds to help the colon cleanse and heal itself. For example, Oxy-Powder® works by activating oxygen within the intestinal tract and is an excellent choice for helping to maintain colon efficiency along with your colon hydrotherapy sessions. Even though colon hydrotherapy has existed for years, the ultimate question remains—is colon cleansing safe?

Frequent Colon Cleansing Safety Concerns

When it comes to the question of safety, there are a number of common colon cleansing concerns:

* Pain: Some individuals base their decisions on a simple idea—does it hurt? Colon hydrotherapy is routinely described as "reinvigorating" or "refreshing."
* Penetration of Treatments: Just how deeply the colon cleansing apparatus enters the body is another top safety concern. Enemas affect only the first eight to twelve inches of the colon. Colon cleansing treatments penetrate more deeply so as to provide a thorough cleansing for the entire length of the colon, but are relatively safe if administered by a hydrotherapy specialist.
* Risk of Infection: Perhaps one of the biggest concerns with colon cleansing concerns potential exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses. Modern advances in colon cleansing equipment, like the use of disposable pre-sterilized hoses and tips, help ensure a germ-free colon cleansing experience."

Soapsuds Enema (Fleets)

"An enema is a way of cleaning out the large intestine, which is called the colon or bowel. Various solutions are inserted into the rectum to soften the stool. This causes the colon and rectum to stretch and expand and helps the bowel to empty.
Who is a candidate for the procedure?

Enemas may be given:
# to relieve constipation. Enemas may be given at home by the person, a family member, or a visiting nurse.
# to prepare for an exam of the rectum or colon, such as a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy
# prior to surgery on the bowel
# prior to certain X-ray procedures, such as a barium enema. A barium enema is a series of X-ray films that shows the colon after a contrast agent is inserted in the rectum.

Enemas used to be given to anyone having surgery and to women who were in labor. This is practice is no longer common.
How is the procedure performed?

The person will be asked to lie on his or her left side. The right leg should be bent up toward the chest. This position helps the enema solution flow easily into the colon. The solution most commonly used is a mixture of mild soap and warm water, and is known as a soapsuds enema. This solution is placed into a small plastic container with a flexible tube. Lubricating jelly is applied to the tip of the tube. The tube is then gently inserted into the rectum about 4 to 6 inches. Next, the solution is slowly released through the tube into the bowel.

A fleets enema is a small, prefilled enema with a prelubricated tip. An oil retention enema is useful for hard stool, because the stool absorbs the oil and is softened."

Fleets Enema Advice

" FLEET ENEMA® FLEET ENEMA® Mineral Oil
Johnson & Johnson • Merck
Sodium Phosphates
Mineral Oil
Laxative

Action And Clinical Pharmacology: Fleet Enema: Useful as a laxative in the relief of constipation, and as a bowel evacuant for a variety of diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic indications. Dibasic sodium phosphate and monobasic sodium phosphate are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and retain water in the lumen of the intestine. When administered rectally as an enema, they produce a watery evacuation of the bowel. Fleet Enema provides cleansing action and induces complete emptying of the left colon usually in 2 to 5 minutes.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Serves to soften and lubricate the contents of the intestinal tract, easing their passage without irritating the mucosa. Results approximate a normal bowel movement in that only the rectum, sigmoid and part or all of the descending colon are evacuated. Results are usually obtained in 2 to 15 minutes.

Indications And Clinical Uses: Fleet Enema: Useful as a laxative in the relief of constipation. As a routine enema, when bowel evacuation is needed for proctoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, preoperative cleansing and general postoperative care, to help relieve fecal or barium impaction, collecting stool specimens, during pregnancy and pre- and postnatally.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Lubricant laxative. For the relief of occasional constipation. Especially suitable for bowel cleansing when straining might be dangerous, painful, or unproductive, as in: hypertension, cardiovascular syndromes, pelvic hernia, hemorrhoids, care of many postoperative conditions, gastrointestinal irritations, atonic colon, impaction in the paralyzed patient, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and abdominal aneurysm; to obtain the laxative benefits of mineral oil when oral cathartics are contraindicated.

Contra-Indications: Fleet Enema: Should not be used when the following medical problems exist: appendicitis (or symptoms of), intestinal blockage, ulcerative colitis, ileitis, heart disease, rectal bleeding, high blood pressure, kidney disease.

Fleet Enema: Children: Not recommended for infants under 6 months of age.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Should not be used when the following medical problems exist: appendicitis (or symptoms of), intestinal blockage, ulcerative colitis, ileitis, rectal bleeding, kidney disease.

Manufacturers' Warnings In Clinical States: Fleet Enema: Do not use in the presence of abdominal pain, nausea, fever or vomiting, (this could refer to signs of appendicitis or inflamed bowel), cardiac disease, severe dehydration or debility.

Frequent or prolonged use of enemas may result in dependence for bowel function. Use only when needed or when prescribed by a physician.

Children and Geriatrics: Children and elderly persons are more sensitive to the effects of enemas.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Do not use in the presence of abdominal pain, nausea, fever or vomiting (this could refer to signs of appendicitis or inflamed bowel).

Frequent or prolonged use of enemas may result in dependence for bowel function.

Children and Geriatrics: Give to children only on the advice of, and as directed by a physician. Children and elderly persons are more sensitive to the effects of enemas.

Precautions: Fleet Enema: Do not administer to children under 2 years of age except on the advice of a physician. In dehydrated or debilitated patients, volume of solution administered must be carefully determined since the solution is hypertonic and may cause further dehydration. Care should be taken to ensure that the contents of the bowel are expelled after administration. Repeated usage at short intervals should be avoided. Laxative products should not be used longer than 1 week unless directed by a physician.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Do not administer to children under 2 years of age except on the advice of a physician. Care should be taken to ensure that the contents of the bowel are expelled after administration. Laxative products should not be used longer than 1 week unless directed by a physician.

Dosage And Administration: For rectal use only.

Fleet Enema: Adults: 120 mL. Children 2 to 12 years: 60 mL as a single dose or as directed by a physician. Children under 2 years: consult a physician.

The enema does not require warming. May be used at room temperature.

Preferred Position: Lying on left side with knees flexed, or in the knee-chest position. Remove protective cap from the prelubricated rectal tube before using. Insert tube gently, pointing it in the direction of the navel. Slowly squeeze bottle to empty contents into rectum. Rubber diaphragm at base of tube prevents accidental leakage and assures controlled flow of the enema solution. Withdraw the tube from rectum. (An extra amount of solution is provided to allow for the quantity normally remaining in bottle after squeezing.) Maintain position until defecation impulse is felt, usually within 2 to 5 minutes.

Fleet Enema Mineral Oil: Adults and children 12 years and older: 120 mL as a single dose. Children 2 to 12 years: 60 mL as a single dose. Children under 2 years: Consult a physician.

The enema should first be warmed by placing bottle in water at body temperature.

Preferred Position: Lying on left side with knees flexed, or in the knee-chest position. Remove protective cap from the prelubricated rectal tube before using. Insert the tube gently pointing it in the direction of the navel and squeeze bottle to empty contents into rectum. Rubber diaphragm at base of tube prevents accidental leakage and assures controlled flow of the enema solution. Withdraw the tube from rectum. (An extra amount of oil solution is provided to allow for the quantity normally remaining in bottle after squeezing.) The body position should be maintained until a strong urge to have a bowel movement is felt or the enema should be retained for length of time indicated by physician. Results are usually felt within 2 to 15 minutes. Contents of the bowel should then be expelled."

Who Shouldn't Use Fleets - Possible Life Threatening Outcomes

"Do not use this medication if you have:

* ascites (fluid around your liver);
* congestive heart failure;
* unstable angina (chest pain);
* a perforated bowel;
* a bowel obstruction or severe constipation or
* colitis or toxic megacolon.

If you have any these conditions, you could have dangerous or life-threatening side effects from sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate.
People with eating disorders (such as anorexia or bulimia) should not use this medication without the advice of a doctor.

Talk with your doctor before using sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate if you have:

* nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain;
* trouble swallowing;
* a heart rhythm disorder (such as "Long-QT syndrome");
* a history heart attack, heart surgery, or bypass surgery within the past 3 months;
* kidney disease;
* underactive thyroid;
* an electrolyte imbalance (such as high or low levels of potassium, sodium, phosphorous, or magnesium in your blood);
* a sudden change in bowel habits lasting more than 2 weeks;
* if you take a diuretic (a water pill) such as furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Lopressor, Vasoretic, Zestoretic), spironolactone (Aldactazide, Aldactone), triamterene (Dyrenium, Maxzide, Dyazide), and others;
* if you are on a salt-restricted diet; or
* if you have used a laxative for longer than 1 week.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is also not known whether sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate will harm a nursing infant. Do not use sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding baby."


Catalina