Expert issues warning about 'electrosex' trend as it becomes more popular and could be fatal
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty images/Rattankun Thongbun
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
A dangerous new sex trend has had fatal consequences, leading to an expert to warn others about trying it.
There are so many different things people prefer to do in the bedroom, and sometimes, it’s just not safe.
From strangulation, to entering the bondage scene ill-equipped with safety practices, sometimes, you need to really consider what you’re about to do is safe for those involved first.
Such as the case when you take part in Erotic electrostimulation, aka electrosex.
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Erotic electrostimulation is when people use machines, with the specific use to create electrical stimulation to the genitals.
Also known as ‘e-stim’, it can lead to injury or even death if you don’t do it correctly.
According to Dr Sherry A. Ross, an OBGYN, it’s something to be wary of.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan, she said that anything with electric power has the potential to generate heat that can cause burns, heart arrhythmias, and death.
To really be able to do it safely, you need to know for sure that the person is healthy, not pregnant, and that you’re doing it properly.
As for Brooke Faught, a nurse practitioner and Clinical Director of the Women's Institute for Sexual Health, the problems arise when you use something not designed for sex.
She told the outlet: "When used in a safe and appropriate manner, these devices are quite safe with minimal potential for harm. The concern lies in the potential for someone to use a device that is not designed for human use. If a person were to receive excessive stimulation, they might experience pain, cramping, and other potential musculoskeletal or neurological consequences."
Death being caused to users of this electroplay isn’t common, but it has happened.
When practiced incorrectly, e-stim can kill you. Such as the case of a US man who electrocuted himself while masturbating in 2008.
Amanda Martin found her husband Paul naked from the waist down in 2008, with ‘wires attached to him'.
As per the affidavit, she said: "I tried to move Paul, but got an electrical shock."
In another instance, a Pennsylvania man was accused of involuntary manslaughter in 2008, after he electrocuted his wife with a homemade e-stim which used a hairdryer.
The setup caused the 29-year-old woman to have a heart attack.
37-year-old Toby Taylor was jailed with bail set at $100,000 bail on involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges.
Initially, he stated his wife was shocked by the hairdryer, but when the burn marks were found, he revealed he had clipped a cord to his wife and then plugged it into an electric strip around three or four times.
York County Coroner Barry Bloss questioned why he would risk it, stating, as per ABC Action News: "Even if you did it before, you have to know you could kill someone."
According to experts, you should only use specially designed e-stim devices, with Heidi, CEO of e-stim shop Current Pleasures, revealing to the outlet that low frequency therapy devices can feel like stinging, or higher frequency devices focus more on muscle contractions.
Essentially, if you’re doing it right, it shouldn’t leave burn marks, and if so, using a electro-conductive gel can help.
Above all else, don't make your own setup.