Introduction to Urethral Play

The hunt for a better orgasm can take us all to places we never thought we’d go. Whether it’s unusual sex positions, new sex toys, or even BDSM and bondage. All these activities are ways for you to explore your own body, and your own sexuality. One area of the genitals that tends to be often overlooked though is the urethra.

When asked about the erogenous zones of your genitals, your urethra will probably be the last thing on your mind. That's just the hole I pee out of, isn't it?

While this is true, a lesser known fact about the urethra is that it is incredibly sensitive and packed with nerves. Just like the other nerve dense parts of the body, stimulating the urethra can feel incredible.

Unlike the penis or vagina though, the urethra is much more delicate. When stimulating it, you need to be very careful and gentle, otherwise there are risks of abrasions, tearing, or infection.

To help people engage in urethral play in a safe and satisfying way there are now a range of sex toys on the market, all specifically designed for the urethra. You can even take it a step further if you really enjoy it, and have a body piercing that stimulates the urethra permanently, changing how you enjoy sex and masturbation forever.

Before we get into specifics, let’s spend a little time getting to know the urethra and the sensations it can give you.

What is the Urethra?

The urethra is a part of the body found on both the male and female genitals. In men, the urethra is around eight inches long, and runs along the length of the penis, through the prostate, and up to the bladder. It carries both urine and semen. In women, the urethra is much shorter, usually being around two inches long. The female urethra connects directly to the bladder, and only carries urine. Both sexes have a urethral sphincter, which allows them to control when urine can exit the body, and men have a second one to restrict urine during ejaculation.

What is Urethral Play?

Knowing what and where the urethra is, urethral play (just like other forms of sexual play) is the simple act of stimulating the urethra for pleasure. Both sexes are able to enjoy urethral play (because they both have one) and whether or not you enjoy it will be entirely a personal preference.

As the part of the urethra which reaches the surface of the skin is very small, urethral play will most often consist of inserting objects into it. These can be of varying length, some stimulating just below the surface of the skin, while other reach much deeper. Depending on how much you enjoy urethral play and how experienced you are, you might even insert objects long enough to stimulate the prostate or even the bladder.

Why Do People Engage in Urethral Play?

Just like with almost any other kind of sexual play, urethral play is done to achieve sexual pleasure. Inserting objects into your urethra might sound a little strange and out there at first, but so do most types of sexual play before you try them. If you’re willing to take the leap of faith though, urethral play can give you some incredibly intense and pleasurable sensations.

The feelings you’ll experience will usually be either physical or psychological.

Physical feelings will be very intense. The action of inserting objects into the urethra will usually at the very least fill the tube, but in most cases, it goes a little further, stretching the urethra. This stretching puts a lot of pressure on all of the sensitive nerves within the urethra, as well as the surrounding areas like the clitoris or penis. If the stimulation of the urethra itself isn’t enough to send you wild, then doing some normal masturbation either after insertion or during can make everything you feel that little bit stronger.

Female urethral play puts a lot of pressure on the clitoris in particular. Externally, the urethral opening is very close to clitoris glans, so the extra pressure can make this already sensitive part of the vagina even more sensitive than usual. The clitoris isn’t entirely external though. It extends into the body and the urethral tube runs alongside it. This means that once you’ve inserted something, you’ll be able to stimulate the internal part of the clitoris too.

Men have a similar benefit. The prostate gland is completely internal, and when stimulated it produces some of the strongest pleasurable feelings that a man can have. With practise, prostate stimulation can even lead men to multiple orgasms. Unfortunately, the position of the prostate makes it difficult to stimulate. Most of the time people will claim that the best way to stimulate the prostate is by entering through the anus. While this is true, you still don’t make direct contact with it in this way. The only method to make direct prostate contact is through urethral insertion.

Psychological feelings are a little harder to describe. Some take enjoyment in the fact that they are doing something unusual or “wrong”. Others like the dangerous aspect, as urethral play carries more risks than most sexual practises. You might even just be an adventurous spirit, and take joy in exploring as much as possible, even when it comes to your own body.

Does Urethral Play Hurt?

Pain will probably be the first initial reaction you might expect from putting something inside the urethra. It can hurt, but if you use lubrication and take your time while inserting your toy, then it should feel largely painless.

For some people, pain can be a bit of a turn on. This is especially true in the BDSM community. If this is something you’re interested in, then the use of urethral toys can be tailored to give you a level of pain during your experience, which heightens the sexual arousal further. Similarly, those who enjoy sub/dom roleplay can incorporate urethral play into their scenarios, utilising pain or just restriction with urethral toys.

Urethral Play Toys

As most urethral play will be internal, there are a few different types of toys available to you depending on how deep you want the penetration to be, and what type of feelings you want to experience.

Penis Plugs

Penis plugs are the ideal urethral toy for the beginner. They are quite short, usually only being up to a couple of inches in length, and are designed to sit in the urethral tube within the penis. Most penis plugs will have either a t-bar or ring at the end, to stop you inserting it too far, and will usually be made of either silicone or stainless steel. Variants of penis plugs are available for women, and are generally called urethral plugs. Some penis plugs will even be designed for long term wear, and may be hollow. This lets you urinate and ejaculate as normal while wearing them.

Urethral Sounds

Urethral sounds are a bit more advanced. These are much longer, and if you wish, can penetrate the entire length of the urethral tube right up to the bladder. The have a number of different designs and shapes which allow you to choose one to suit the kind of play you enjoy most. Some are even curved in a way to stop a man from getting an erection. Most urethral sounds will be stainless steel, although some silicone variants are available. They also come in a large range of diameters, so if you enjoy the feeling of stretching your urethra, you can work your way up to larger and large sizes.

Sperm Stoppers

Sperm stoppers are specifically designed for men, and look a little like a cock ring. The ringed part sits on the head of the penis, across the glans and frenulum, while the arm will sit inside the urethra. Many sperm stoppers will have a small ball on the end of the arm, although some stick to a rounded design which is the same girth as the arm itself. Sperm stoppers are always made of stainless steel.

Prince Albert Piercings

While not specifically a toy, a Prince Albert piercing is another form of urethral stimulation. These genital piercings are only for men, although there is a variant a woman can get called a Princess Albertina piercing. Prince Albert piercings go from the part of the glans where the head meets the shaft of the penis, along the urethra to the urethral opening. The piercing usually is worn with a ring which protrudes out of the end of the penis.

Dangers of Urethral Play

While most types of sexual play carry with them at least some form of risk, urethral play is much more dangerous and things can very frequently go wrong. This shouldn’t discourage you though, as most negative effects of urethral play are due to human error, and with proper practise and safe techniques, you should have no issues.

The most common risk you run with urethral play is infection. As the tubes lead directly to the bladder, this most commonly takes the form of a urinary tract infection. The urethra very easily picks up bacteria from anything you insert into it, so it’s important to always make sure your toys are clean and sterile before you begin to use them.

Just as your toys need to be sterile, so does your lubricant. Performing a urethral insertion without lubrication is sure to lead to pain, abrasions, and in some cases tearing of the sensitive tissue within, so lubricating is a must. But unlike most sexual practises, regular lubrication isn’t always suitable. In general water based lubricant is recommended, as it is easier to clean up following a session, but you need to check the ingredients of the lubricant to make sure none of the ingredients (particularly glycerine) can cause a reaction within the urethra. Always look for 100% sterile lubricants.

If you make sure everything is clean, then the only real risks come from you. Toys that are too girthy or too long might cause a lot of pain or some tearing if you try to insert them, so you need to gradually work your way up the sizes to stretch the urethra to accept larger toys. Similarly, forcing a toy in too quickly or roughly will cause similar damage. While inserting your toy, if you encounter any resistance you should stop and try again later as they should be able to mostly just slide in on their own. Forcing a toy deep inside you where it doesn’t want to go could even lead to puncturing your urethra, which would be disastrous for your body’s natural functions.

Retrograde ejaculation is another risk to be aware of when blocking your urethra. As this tube carries both urine and semen in men, having it blocked up when reaching orgasm could force the semen backwards into the body, reaching the bladder. As semen was never meant to interact with the body, retrograde ejaculation can have serious consequences for your body. In the worst cases it can even lead to infertility.

Now I know that was a lot of information to take in, but it’s important. Urethral play isn’t something you can just jump into blindly and hope for the best. This kind of sexual practise needs to be properly researched and prepared for in order to not only be safe, but also enjoyable. So, if you’re ready to take your first steps into urethral play, check out some of our articles on specific toys and how to use them. Once you’ve decided what you want to use, set aside some me time, relax, and take your first steps into a new world of sexual stimulation.

Read More:
Can You Have Sex While Wearing a Penis Plug?
Female Urethral Play
Urethral Sounds FAQ
Types of Urethral Toys
Penis Plugs FAQ
Guide to Prince Albert Piercings