I first got my VCH piercing in my early twenties, I think 22-ish? Now that I’m staring down the barrel of turning 40 I’ve been giving some thought to my little surgical steel friend and wonder what its future should be.

What’s a Vertical Clitoral Hood piercing?

a Vertical Clitoral Hood (VCH) piercing is exactly what it sounds like: piercing the clitoral hood with a curved barbell piercing with the goal of increasing clitoral stimulation.

Why’d you get it?

Duh.

Did it hurt?

I remember it hurting the way a typical piercing does but it really didn’t hurt more than any of my other body piercings. For the record, I remember my lower navel piercings being the most painful of all, though my nose did make my eyes water like a mother.

How long did it take to heal?

Not long, surprisingly. I thought there’d be a lot of aftercare required, especially for an area so sensitive and bodily waste-adjacent but there was very little extra I needed to do. I also wasn’t sore right after; I thought I’d end up walking like I just got off a horse but was able to go about my business without looking like I just had needles going through my sensitive parts.

Has it helped make sex better?

I wish I could answer this question but I honestly cannot say because I’ve had it for so long. For the record, any attempts to remove it on my own have been difficult (though I might just need latex gloves to get a grip on it) so I’ve had it in place without removing for over 15ish years. Consequently, the majority of my sex life has included this piercing.

It hasn’t made every sex experience great and definitely won’t replace the lack of effort a bad partner gives so don’t expect it to be a saving grace if you’re having not-great sex. That said, I think it’s been a worthwhile investment for kicking things up a notch.

A decade+ look back at having piercings in my genitals

I’ve been toying with the idea of removing my VCH piercing just to see what life is like without it but it’s been a combination of laziness + worry that I won’t put it back in time before the hole shrinks to the point of no return. Granted, since it’s been there for so long I expect I could go a few weeks without needing to put the barbell back in, but I know it’s one of those things I’d put off until it’s past the point of no return.

Still, I wanted to write this post because I rarely see people mentioning the reality of having a genital piercing and wearing it for such a long time.

First, to get this out of the way: No, I don’t think my clitoris has been numbed by my VCH. It’s still quite sensitive and that old wives’ tale doesn’t ring true (in my case, at least).

Next, I don’t get off just by walking around or driving down a bumpy road. There’s still got to be some intention behind the effort, you know? I do remember once very much enjoying sitting on the back seat of a bus but it was more like “Oh, hi there.” and not, like, the deli scene from When Harry Met Sally.

I think the main “thing” I notice now is that I do find it to be disruptive for certain vibrators and sex toys if for only making the loudest rattling sounds. Things like the Lovense Ferri or other “quiet” vibrators lose a lot of their quietness when up against my VCH.

Would I recommend it? I think it depends. Like I said before, I wouldn’t recommend getting the VCH piercing solely to improve a sex life that sucks because you and your partner lack communication. It’s not a magic barbell that can negate lackluster effort from you or your partner. It is, however, a fun little secret to have particularly when your outward-facing persona is pretty vanilla. When you’re able to use the piercing correctly, things are great I won’t like. But again, I want to re-emphasize that I’ve had this in for the majority of my sex life so I can’t say right now if it amplifies things dramatically. If I ever get around to taking it out, I’ll report back and let you know.