Many people think of pain and
sex as deeply incompatible. After all, sex is all about pleasure, and pain has
nothing to do with that, right? Well, for some individuals, pain and pleasure
can sometimes overlap in a sexual context, but how come? Continue reading this
Spotlight feature to find out.
The relationship between pain
and sexual pleasure has lit up the imaginations of many writers and artists,
with its undertones of forbidden, mischievous enjoyment.
In 1954, the erotic novel Story
of O by Anne Desclos (pen name Pauline Réage) caused a stir in France
with its explicit references to bondage and discipline, dominance and
submission, sadism and masochism — an array of sexual practices referred to as
BDSM, for short.
Recently, the series Fifty
Shades of Grey by E. L. James has sold millions of
copies worldwide, fuelling the erotic fantasies of its readers.
Still, practices that involve an
overlap of pain and pleasure are often shrouded in mystery and mythologized,
and people who admit to engaging in rough play in the bedroom often face stigma
and unwanted attention.
So what happens when an
individual finds pleasure in pain during foreplay or sexual intercourse? Why is
pain pleasurable for them, and are there any risks when it comes to engaging in
rough play?
In this Spotlight feature, we
explain why physical pain can sometimes be a source of pleasure, looking at
both physiological and psychological explanations.
Also, we look at possible side
effects of rough play and how to cope with them and investigate when the
overlap of pain and pleasure is not healthful.
Physical pain as a source of
pleasure
First of all, a word of warning:
Unless a person is specifically interested in experiencing painful sensations
as part of their sexual gratification, sex should not be painful for the people
engaging in it.
People may experience pain
during intercourse for various health-related reasons, including conditions
such as vaginismus, injuries or infections of the vulva or vagina,
and injuries or infections of the penis or testicles.
If you experience unwanted pain
or any other discomfort in your genitals during sex, it is best to speak to a
healthcare professional about it.
Healthy, mutually consenting
adults sometimes seek to experience painful sensations as an
"enhancer" of sexual pleasure and arousal. This can be as part of
BDSM practices or simply an occasional kink to spice up one's sex life.
But how can pain ever be
pleasurable? According to evolutionary theory, for humans and other mammals,
pain functions largely as a warning system, denoting the danger of a
physical threat. For instance, getting burned or scalded hurts, and this
discourages us from stepping into a fire and getting burned to a crisp or
drinking boiling water and damaging our bodies irreversibly.
Yet, physiologically
speaking, pain and pleasure have more in common than one might think. Research
has shown that sensations of pain and pleasure activate the same neural
mechanismsin the brain.
Pleasure and pain are both tied
to the interacting dopamine and opioid systems in the brain, which regulate
neurotransmitters that are involved in reward- or motivation-driven behaviors,
which include eating, drinking, and sex.
In terms of brain regions, both
pleasure and pain seem to activate the nucleus accumbens, the pallidum, and the
amygdala, which are involved in the brain's reward system, regulating motivation-driven
behaviors.
Thus, the "high"
experienced by people who find painful sensations sexually arousing is similar
to that experienced by athletes as they push their bodies to the limit.
Source: Medical News Today
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