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Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
Gerrard Kaonga
If you like to get experimental in the bedroom you might want to take it a bit easier or risk injury to your sensitive areas, according to one doctor.
Keeping things fresh in the bedroom is a pretty vital facet to most healthy relationships.
But just like most things, a trend has emerged on social media with multiple TikTok videos instructing couples to give it a try.
So if you like getting your sexual health tips and advice from randoms on the internet you might have already given it a go.
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For the rest of us, I’ll explain.
The practice essentially involves ramping up the sexual pleasure until breaking point, right up until just before orgasm and then stopping... only to start the process all over again. Otherwise known as edging.
Those in favor of the practice being a mainstay in the bedroom swear it has multiple benefits, can make men last longer, and intensify orgasms, but a doctor has issued a warning against this.
Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, has weighed in on the popularity of the trend.
He explained: “The technique essentially allows individuals to enjoy more arousal before climax.”
However, he did confirm it's not all happy endings, warning that prolonged exposure to edging could also have a 'negative impact' on erectile function.
He explained that our bodies can quickly get used to our habits when it comes to sex and masturbation and long-term use of the edging technique can make a male desensitized to normal intercourse or traditional masturbation (what a phrase).
He continued: “This can have a lasting impact on men’s ability to maintain stimulation, making it more difficult to achieve or maintain an erection — a common sign of erectile dysfunction which may require treatment.”
He also noted that there was an increased risk of injury from the friction as well as tears to the genitals due to ‘overstimulation’. Something that sounds so awful I don’t even want to imagine it.
Despite the risks, the doctor didn’t exactly outlaw the practice.
He said: “Overall, like any masturbation technique or sexual activity, there’s a range of risks to be aware of. Edging varies from person to person in terms of length and frequency.
“I recommend managing how often this technique is used and combining it with normal sexual intercourse and masturbation techniques to help protect against desensitization.”