If sexual healing is what you’re after, make sure you don’t get too rowdy, or it could end up having the exact opposite effect.
Not only have millions of Brits injured themselves in the bedroom, an unlucky 8% even ended up in hospital as a result — and according to a new survey, it’s not because they were working their way through the Kama Sutra.
In a poll of 2015 people, Lovehoney revealed that the riskiest sex position is also the UK’s favourite: good old-fashioned doggy style.
More than half of respondents said they’d had a fiasco on all fours, withwrist injuries and carpet burns among the most common.
Annabelle Knight, psychosexual therapist and resident expert for the adult toy brand, part of the issue is that ‘the giver needs to be careful where they’re placing their weight to avoid straining the receiver’s wrists.’
To avoid it, she recommends ‘maintaining an upright posture instead of resting down on the receiver will relieve that pressure, adding, ‘the receiver, instead of resting on their hands, can then rest on their forearms instead.’
In terms of friction burns, the advice is to stick to the bed rather than getting down (literally) on the floor, or at the very least to place a soft blanket underneath you beforehand.
In second place, the otherwise vanilla staple missionary has proven surprisingly perilous, causing harm to more than a third of those surveyed at one point or another.
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Carpet burns were also an issue here, along with pulled muscles and back injuries or flare-ups to existing spinal problems.
‘Popping a pillow under the lumbar spine of the person on bottom’ can help on this front, says Annabelle. ‘It may also help increase pleasure during penetration, as the hips are tilted upwards.’
Third most dangerous was reverse cowgirl, which recently won out as men’s most-loved position, despite the fact it can lead to torn frenular (the tissue connecting the foreskin to the glans) and penile fractures.
But it turns out regular cowgirl isn’t safe either — almost 1 in 6 of the Lovehoney survey respondents had experienced a mishap in this position too.
If you want to be left screaming yee-haw and not ouch, Annabelle says it’s key for both partners to ‘stay in sync’.
‘One mistimed thrust could result in a bent penis,’ she continues. ‘Go slow and communicate with one another.’
Lube is also helpful to avoid too much friction, and ‘instead of thrusting or bouncing, the person on top should use smaller motions or grinding’.
Choose your location wisely
‘Having sex in new locations can be a great way to spice up your sex life, though locations such as the shower can be tricky when trying to avoid injury,’ clinical sexologist, Ness Cooper, previously told Metro.
‘If you want to be extra adventurous with positions during shower sex, be aware that it can be slippery.
‘Checking any fittings you may be leaning against beforehand for stability is advised.’
A decent headboard to grab onto or some specially-designed sex straps can also make a world of difference, particularly during more intense sessions.
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