Prince Albert (genital piercing)

The Prince Albert (PA) is a penis piercing which extends from the urethra to the underside of the glans.

[12] PA rings can cause additional discomfort to female partners in cases when the penis comes into contact with the cervix.

[4] Very large gauge or heavy jewelry can cause thinning of the tissue between the urethral opening and the healed fistula, resulting in accidental tearing or other complications with sexual experiences.

One of the reasons not to perform the initial piercing at a small diameter (16g or 14g) or otherwise to immediately stretch it to 10g or 8g using a taper is to prevent the 'cheese-cutter effect',[5] although personal preference and individual anatomy also play a role in these decisions.

If a sufficiently heavy barbell or ring is worn continuously, a mild form of 'auto-stretching' can be observed.

[16] In modern times, the Prince Albert piercing was popularized by Jim Ward in the early 1970s.

[17] In West Hollywood, Ward met Richard Simonton (aka Doug Malloy) and Fakir Musafar.

[18] These apocryphal tales—which included the notion that Albert, the Prince Consort invented the piercing that shares his name in order to tame the appearance of his large penis in tight trousers—are widely circulated as urban legend.

[20] It became more prominently known when body piercing expanded in the late 1970s and was gradually embraced by popular culture.