Kink and BDSM
Sadomasochistic practices (SM, BDSM)
BDSM (bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadomasochism) includes a range of activities, including role play, bondage and whipping. You may enjoy having your nipples pinched or dripping hot wax on your partner’s skin.
If there are no lesions (pimples, wounds) on the skin, these BDSM activities don’t come with any risk of transmitting HIV or other STBBIs. You can enjoy your favourite scenarios safely.
Practices such as using needles or blades to mark, shave or pierce the skin may expose you to higher transmission risks for HIV, hepatitis C or other STBBIs. Make sure to use sterile tools or disposable blades.
For sexual practices such as fisting or using sex toys, visit these pages to learn about various strategies for protecting your health.
If you’re engaging in BDSM activities for the first time, take the time to talk about your needs, desires and limits with your partner. You may wish to seek out an experienced person and ask for guidance as you begin to explore BDSM.
Learn more
See the pamphlet BDSM: Safer Kinky Sex, an education project on safer BDSM by ACT Toronto.
Golden shower (watersports, WS)
Pissing or urinating on a partner’s skin carries no risk of infection if the skin is healthy.
Taking urine into your mouth or drinking it exposes you to a negligible risk of HIV infection. The risk is present when there is blood in the urine. However, some STBBIs, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, can be transmitted through urine if it enters the mouth or eyes. Also, avoid pissing on a lesion, meaning a wound or pimple.
Brown shower (scatophilia, scat, shit play, brown hanky, chocolate)
Contact with fecal matter does not expose you to HIV unless blood or skin lesions are also present. However, taking fecal matter into your mouth comes with a high risk of bacterial infections (such as chlamydia and gonorrhea) and of transmitting hepatitis A, hepatitis B and parasites. Diarrhea or cramps may be symptoms of parasites. If you’re into scat, get tested regularly for STBBIs and parasites to best protect your health.