A Guide to BDSM Medical Play

Medical play is a type of BDSM play which involves medical scenarios, procedures and practices. It’s a relatively common kink – so common, in fact, that you can see traces of it in popular culture: things like the “sexy nurse” outfits everyone wears at Halloween and Dr Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

It’s no coincidence that most examples of medical play in popular culture straddle the line between sexy and scary. Medical play can be kind of intense. It involves blood and sharp things and maybe (if you’re lucky) things going in the arse. It’s frightening (and therefore fun and exciting) stuff.

If you have even the faintest inkling that you might be into medical play, here’s what you need to know to explore.

Contents

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Why do people enjoy medical play?

Staying safe during medical play

Medical role play vs medical procedures

An index of medical role play scenarios

An index of medical role play procedures

Why do people enjoy medical play?

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There are many reasons why people enjoy engaging in medical play. Here are a few of them…

It’s a form of power play we all find familiar

We’ve all seen a doctor at some point. It’s a familiar situation. And it’s one of the few familiar situations in everyday life where someone else wields a great deal of power over us.

Your doctor (hopefully) knows way more than you about the human body. If they say you need a rectal exam, an x-ray, a long period of enforced chastity… well, who are you to argue?

Medical professionals have power over us in a very real way. That’s something we know and accept… and so it can be a lot of fun to explore a darker version of that power relationship through fantasy.

It involves interesting pain

As a sadist, I’ve always enjoyed exploring forms of pain other than spanking. Don’t get me wrong: spanking is great. But there are so many other interesting ways to hurt someone.

Dabbling in medical play opens up many opportunities to explore interesting pain. You can enjoy (or enjoy subjecting your partner to) needles, enemas, ice-cold speculums, staples, and many other things beside. What a lot of fun possibilities to explore!

It can be humiliating or embarrassing

In the course of a medical play examination a patient might be stripped naked, probed in every orifice, subjected to a series of intrusive questions, examined intimately, and discussed at length as though they’re not in the room. Medical play is a great vehicle for humiliation, degradation and dehumanisation.

You get to play mad scientist with your body

Your body is a strange, powerful, endlessly interesting vessel. By subjecting it to a wide range of experiences, you’ll come to understand it better… and may even discover some weird but fascinating easter eggs.

For example, you might find that needle play makes you drift off into a pleasant state of drowsy subspace… something you can’t access any other way. Or you might find that an enema is actually something you enjoy and want to do on a regular basis for entirely nonsexual reasons.

Exploring is good and worthwhile for its own sake… and medical play is an excellent way of exploring.

Staying safe during medical play

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Each medical play procedure has its own risk vs reward profile, and you should be aware of this before engaging. Here are some risks, and advice on how to avoid them.

Infection

Any time you break skin, you risk an infection. To minimise the risk of an infection use only single-use sterile equipment, or equipment which has been sterilised before use. Learn how to care for wounds, have a well-stocked first aid kit to hand, and consult a medical professional (a real one) if you think a wound might be infected.

Scarring

With any procedure that breaks or damages the skin, scarring is a possibility. Good wound care will help wounds and incisions heal neatly and without infection, and thus minimise the chances of noticeable scars down the road.

If you do end up with scars, products like bio-oil are commonly believed to help speed up the healing process.

While you can minimise the severity of scarring, and quicken the healing process, there’s no way to avoid the possibility of scarring altogether. Before engaging in any play that breaks the skin you should consider the possibility that you’ll end up with some modest scars. If that possibility is devastating to you, you should re-think engaging in this type of play.

Fluid sharing

A lot of medical play involves bodily fluids. Blood, piss, come, spit. For the most part these are nothing to be squeamish about. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that they can play a part in the transmission of viruses.

To mitigate this risk, you could make sure you know the medical history of everyone you play with… something which isn’t always practical, given that most people barely know their own medical history.

A more realistic approach is to treat bodily fluids as potentially infectious, and use gloves and other protective gear to keep yourself and your partner safe… choosing only to share bodily fluids with people you know and trust.

Accidental wounding

Many of the medical play procedures described here make use of sharp things: needles, scalpels, staples and so on. When using anything with a sharp point, there’s always a risk of accidentally cutting or sticking yourself, or cutting or sticking your partner somewhere you didn’t intend to cut or stick them.

The best way to address this is by staying organised. Keep needles and blades capped until you’re ready to use them. Retain the cap and put it back on when you’re done. Dispose of used needles and blades in an appropriate sharps bin, and dispose of that bin properly (usually by taking it to a local pharmacy) when you’re done.

Electricity

Some medical play procedures involve the application of electricity. Most types of electrical play are, relatively speaking, quite safe… but that doesn’t mean they’re without risk.

Avoid electrical play anywhere near the heart. Avoid electrical play with anyone with a heart condition. Keep things organised and unplug devices when they’re not in use. Be patient and sensible, and get familiar with equipment before you use it.

Medical role play vs medical procedures

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Some people enjoy the dynamics which surround medical play – the power imbalance between doctor and patient, the ritual of snapping on a pair of gloves, the smell and temperature and texture of a medical bed. If this stuff is fun for you, then roleplay is likely to be a significant element of your play.

It’s just as legit, of course, to not be fussed about creating an atmosphere or inhabiting a role. You and your partner(s) may simply enjoy sticking each other with needles or wrapping each other in bandages. If this stuff is the main show for you, you’ll find some great ideas in the medical play techniques section below.

For most people, of course, it’s a mix of scenario and procedure that they find most appealing.

An index of medical roleplay scenarios

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Here are some medical role play scenarios you might enjoy exploring…

Alien abduction

The dominant partner is an alien overlord. The submissive partner is their helpless abductee… ready to be stripped naked, strapped down and subjected to a bewildering and humiliating series of probes, jabs, examinations and other experiments.

Suggested activities: sensory deprivation, anal probing, restraints, numbing spray or tingling lube, temperature taking, bright light in the eyes, squeezing and prodding, electrical play, foul tasting medicine, a thorough inspection.

The sperm donor

The dominant partner is a specialist doctor or nurse. The submissive partner has unwittingly entered into an agreement to be milked for their precious sperm. After a thorough health check and a period of chastity (to get that sperm count nice and high) they are duly strapped down and milked for every last drop.

Suggested activities: use of chastity devices, prostate play, a thorough examination, milking with a TENS machine, medical restraints, numbing sprays.

Experimental test subject

The dominant partner is a scientist carrying out an unauthorised clinical trial. The submissive partner is their unwitting test subject. They are put through a series of increasingly invasive and increasingly painful tests, and forced to provide feedback after each one.

Suggested activities: cutting, needles, medical restraints, dental play, gagging, numbing sprays, disposable lancets, enemas, speculum play, observations.

A visit to the doctor

The dominant partner is a doctor or other medical professional, poised to carry out a series of tests or treatments on the submissive partner. They may be caring and attentive or brusque and domineering as desired.

Suggested activities: observations, temperature taking, bandaging, forced exercise, enemas, inspection, needles and anaesthesia play.

The vet

The dominant partner is a vet. The submissive partner is a pet or other animal who has wound up on their table.

Suggested activities: restraint using harnesses or leash, use of a muzzle, a rough and ready inspection, soothing time with a dog toy, a bath if necessary, shaving off of fur, temperature taking, bandaging, some time in a cage while waiting for a diagnosis.

The dentist

The dominant is a dentist (perhaps a depraved dentist, inspired by Little Shop of Horrors) and the submissive is their patient. Strapped down to the chair, they’ll be subjected to an extensive orally-focussed torture session.

Suggested activities: rubber gloves, use of a dental gag, testing of the gag reflex, a bright light in the eyes, pinching and pulling the tongue, some foul-tasting mouthwash, extensive probing of the mouth, mock anaesthesia.

An index of medical play techniques

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Here’s an ever-expanding list of fun medical-ish things you can do with a willing partner.

Anaesthesia play

Many people enjoy idea of being put under anaesthesia or given sleep-inducing medicine. This might be because they fetishize the process, or because they find the loss of control (and the idea of being subject to one or more “treatments” while semi-conscious) tantalisingly hot.

Messing with drugs that actually knock you out is a bad idea. So what options are open for exploring anaesthesia play?

Even without actual drugs to knock you out, many people find playing with breathing masks and other equipment a fine substitute. The paraphernalia alone is sufficient to turn them on.

You can mix in a few subtle hypnotic suggestions to help send your partner off to “sleep” without any real danger

Or you can experiment with drugs like poppers and herbal sleeping tablets. These don’t cause a loss of consciousness, but may have some calming effect which – combined with the power of suggestion – can work wonders.

Bandaging

Being wrapped up in bandages is an enjoyable sensory experience. The pressure and tightness makes some people feel secure and cosy, while the restriction of movement serves the same purpose as restraints.

You can buy bandages, micropore tape and plasters just about anywhere. If your bandaging technique isn’t all that good, I’d recommend getting hold of some vet wrap. This type of conforming bandage is used mainly on animals, and so it’s very easy to work with. It grips nice and tightly and adheres easily to itself with no need for pins or tape.

Cutting

If you and your partner enjoy playing with sharp pain, and don’t mind a little blood, you can make some shallow incisions with a scalpel. These can later be bandaged or stapled closed as per your preference.

Of course, when doing any kind of cutting – no matter how shallow – you should be extremely careful. Make sure your implements are sterile, clean the site before cutting, and practise good wound care afterwards.

Most importantly of all, though, know where it is safe and where it is not safe to cut. The fleshiest parts of the buttocks, upper arms and stomach are relatively safe, whereas anywhere with little padding or with veins or arteries close to the surface should be avoided.

Study anatomy. Play smart. Have a first aid kit handy.

Dental fun

A dental gag is a gag that fits between the teeth, and which holds the mouth open for easy access. They’re great not just for a bit of oral play, but for making the wearer feel vulnerable and humiliated, too.

You can supplement a dental gag with a few other dental tools and toys… but be aware that most people don’t enjoy tooth pain that much. A rubber gloved finger in the mouth or some gentle exploration of the gag reflex, however, are generally well-received.

Disposable lancets

A lancet is a small, disposable plastic device that is used to prick your finger when a drop of blood is needed for a test. You can buy them in bulk off Amazon. They’re fun: they deliver a short, sharp prick of pain… and you never know when it’s coming. Some lancets make a lovely audible click when they stick you. A treat for all the senses.

Lancets are designed to be used to prick fingers. For this reason, you shouldn’t use them anywhere else… even if it looks like it would be fun. And, of course, practise on yourself first. Repeatedly.

Electrical therapy

Use a TENS machine or violet wand to apply electrical current to the patient. Used in this way, electricity can be either pleasurable or painful depending on intensity and the location on the body where it’s applied. Experiment and explore. For some people electricity alone is enough to make them come.

Electrical play can be dangerous. Do your own research and familiarise yourself with equipment before engaging in it.

Enemas

Enemas have a lot to recommend them. They’re an interesting physical sensation, are thoroughly humiliating, and can be either enjoyably painful or stimulatingly intense if done right. Some people enjoy everything about enemas, from the equipment to the feeling of fullness they create. Some people hate them. Some people are a bit of both.

If you’re curious about enema play, but shy of diving right into it with a partner, I strongly recommend you try it solo first.

Foul-tasting medicine

At the end of an examination or a series of tests, you may wish to supply the patient with some medication. This can take the form of something thoroughly unpleasant or difficult to swallow. In small doses, actual cough mixture is fine, but you can also use food-based substitutes like:

• Brandy or other strong spirits
• Non-alcoholic sprits
• Undiluted cordial (aka squash)
• Milk with a little salt added to it
• Thickened water
• Tomato juice with food colouring added

If you’re a particularly cruel individual, you may want to give them an extra large dose… which they, of course, must take in front of you so you can make sure they do it right. Feel free to give them a hand if they look like they’re struggling.

Inspection

Give the patient and incredibly thorough look over. Strap on some gloves and have them strip behind the screen. Grope, prod, squeeze and measure any part of them you find interesting. You may have to tell them to adopt a particular position if you want to get a thorough look at their genitals… perhaps on their bed with their feet in stirrups?

You can also enhance an inspection scenario with an appropriate medical fetish costume.

If you want to be extra thorough you can combine a visual inspection with other observations – things like taking the patient’s pulse and temperature, or making notes on a patient report form.

Medical restraints

When we think of medical restraints, most people think of stirrups. There are great fun, and I recommend them highly… but there are also many other different kinds of medical restraint.

There’s very little difference between medical restraints and BDSM restraints, so you may wish to simply repurpose the restraints you already have in your collection. If you’re aiming for authenticity, though, there are plenty of options.

Needles

Needle play involves pinching the skin and then pushing the tip of a hypodermic needle into the pinched skin and out the other side. Do this with multiple needles and you can create some very pretty patterns, and cause some very interesting pain.

Needle play deserves an article in and of itself. I’m working on one… but in the meantime, I suggest you read as much as you can online, and consider taking a wee class before you give it a shot.

Numbing sprays

Numbing sprays and ointments are readily available in most countries. They have various intended purposes: some are for numbing the user’s genitals so they can last longer in bed, and some are to numb the user’s throat so that they can suck dick without gagging.

As with anything that you put into or on your body, be cautious with numbing sprays. Don’t overuse them, experiment before committing, check for allergies, etc. And don’t cut, staple, needle or otherwise damage any area that you’ve numbed: doing so makes it more likely that you’ll cut too deep, since the patient is unable to feel anything, or provide feedback.

Observations

Take the patient’s pulse and measure their rate of respiration. Listen to their breathing or their heart with a stethoscope. Check their blood pressure with a manual or automatic blood pressure cuff.

You don’t necessarily need to have perfect technique when taking observations, but if you are striving for authenticity you can find tutorials on YouTube to help you get things right. Here’s one for taking a pulse, one for measuring respiration rate, and one for taking a blood pressure reading. Here’s another for using a stethoscope.

You can also carry out more advanced and invasive tests if you’re into that kind of thing. This might include shining a pen torch into the patient’s eyes and watching them dilate (which is, all kinks aside, a really neat thing to watch). You can also gently stick an aurascope in their ears, clip a pulse oximeter to their finger, or take their temperature (more on that below).

Speculum play

A speculum is a slim device designed to allow a medical professional to examine the vagina or anus. When closed a speculum is narrow enough to slip easily into its intended orifice, where it can then be opened up to give a nice clear view of what’s going on in there.

There are a great many different speculums to choose from, and a few things worth bearing in mind when playing with them. You can find a dedicated guide to playing with speculums right here.

Temperature taking

Temperature taking is included here separately from other observations because some people enjoy it so much that it’s a fetish in and of itself.

If you’re into temperature taking, you have plenty of options. You can get hold of thermometers that go in the ear, the mouth, the arse or the armpit as per your preference. Or you can get these nice non-invasive ones that you just aim at the patient’s forehead.