Playing With Speculums: A Primer

A speculum is a metal or plastic instrument usually used by medical professionals when completing vaginal or anal exams. There are a bunch of different designs, but most speculums consist of two paddles or tongues, which are inserted and then eased apart from one another to give a clear view of whatever’s going on inside your orifice.

Medical equipment like this isn’t particularly sexy for everyone, but some people love being examined… or just enjoy the novelty of using a speculum on themselves or their lover. For these people, here’s a brief intro to using speculums for BDSM fun.

Contents

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Why do people enjoy speculum play?

Different types of speculum

How do I use a speculum?

Speculum variations

Why do people enjoy speculum play?

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Humans enjoy speculums in a few different ways, all of which are valid and cool.

You might fetishise medical procedures in general. Which is understandable: they’re a part of life where we have to follow strict rules and undergo odd procedures. If you’re turned on by the idea of being examined, playing with speculums might be right for you.

You might just be curious. Most women have never seen their cervix. Using a speculum to take a look at what you’ve got going on down there can be fun and illuminating.

Naturally, some people find having a speculum used on them quite unpleasant. It can be uncomfortable, humiliating, or just a bit weird… all of which makes speculum play a great choice for both sadists and masochists.

And, finally, some people just like being stretched. Try it sometime. You might be one of them.

Different types of speculum

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I’ll go into detail on some of the different flavours of speculum available to you below… but for most people the answer to this question is pretty simple. If you just want to try speculum play one time to see what it’s like, get this disposable plastic number:

[ Disposable speculum ]

If you feel like you might enjoy playing with a speculum, and want something that’ll allow you experiment a little more, get this stainless steel guy:

[ Steel speculum ]

And if you’re a committed speculum enthusiast… well, you can take your pick from this colourful cast of characters.

Graves Speculum

[ Graves speculum ]

This is the most common type of speculum on the market, and is generally the one used in most medical settings. It’s a pretty standard little guy: two blades which can be opened and closed by adjusting a screw. Simple.

Cusco Speculum

[ Cusco speculum ]

A Cusco speculum is much the same as a Graves, with one crucial difference: the Cusco is designed to be self-retaining. All that means is that, as long as you insert it correctly, it should stay in place in the vagina without you having to hold it there.

Collins Speculum

[ Collins speculum ]

A minimalist number that opens up horizontally rather than vertically. As with other models, this one is opened and closed by manipulation of a screw.

Sims Speculum

[ Sims speculum ]

This speculum has no moving parts, and thus eliminates any possibility of painful pinching. It’s essentially a U-shaped bit of metal with a curved bill on each tine. When using it you insert only one tine and then pull upwards to open up the orifice for a closer look.

Huffman Speculum / Pederson Speculum

[ Huffman/Pederson speculum ]

There are more or less the same as a Graves speculum, but smaller or narrower. Ideal for someone with a small or tight vagina.

Anal Speculum

[ Anal speculum ]

This is a speculum specifically designed for opening up the arse. Naturally it’s much smaller and narrower than most other types of speculum, and is also set up rather differently with a insertable tube and two grips which are squeezed together to separate the bills.

How do I use a speculum?

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Good question. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough.

Gather your kit

When you’re doing any complex kinky thing, it’s always a good idea to have everything you might want close at hand before you begin to play. It breaks the mood to have to go and grab something from the kitchen halfway through.

When playing with a speculum, things you might want to hand include:

• Gloves
• A torch (if you want to take a peek inside)
• Your favourite brand of lube
• A towel for cleaning up excess lube
• Medical play props as desired

And, of course, you’ll need the speculum or speculums you plan on using.

Insertion

Begin with your speculum fully closed – that means with both bills firmly together. Have the person receiving the speculum get into an appropriate position. In most cases this will be on their back with their legs spread, maybe with their hips propped up on a pillow.

Gently insert your speculum. If you’re aiming for an authentic medical roleplay you might find this guide for medical students pretty handy.

Otherwise just be careful and read your partner’s reactions to make sure you aren’t causing then undue discomfort. You’ll find it easiest to insert the speculum sideways (with the handle oriented to either side of the vulva) and then rotate it (so that the handle is oriented towards the top of the vulva) before opening it up.

Opening

Once the speculum is inserted, open it. Take it slow. Be gentle. Check in with your partner. Their reaction will tell you when you’ve opened it far enough.

You can leave a speculum in for a wee while without causing any problems, but a speculum isn’t a toy you can leave in for hours at a time, like a butt plug.

Removal

Before you remove the speculum you should close it most of the way. If you try to close it all the way you’re likely to pinch something sensitive, so close it only as far as you need to in order to comfortably remove it.

Rotate it back to the insertion position (a 90° turn, so that the handle is off to one side) and ease it gently out.

Cleaning up

Disposable speculums are only intended to be used one time. After you’ve had your fun, wrap it in a plastic bag and throw it in the bin. It’s done.

Stainless steel speculums can be cleaned and used again. Make sure to sterilise it if you want to use it with multiple partners. Here’s more on cleaning and sterilising your toys.

Speculum variations

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A quick inspection with a speculum is a good starting point for medical play, but there’s plenty more you can do to make the experience extra enjoyable. Here are some ideas.

Hot and cold

Nothing wakes you up quite like a nice cold metal implement in your genitals. Many people who enjoy medical play enjoy it because of the sterile and dehumanising elements. These can be enhanced by lightly chilling your implements before you use them.

Lightly is important, though. Dipping a speculum into clean, cold water or storing it (within its sterile packaging) in the fridge before play is a good call. Putting it in ice water or the freezer is not, as that level of cold can be damaging to sensitive parts of the body.

Rigorous inspection

You can play up the humiliating or clinical parts of a speculum exam by making the exam extra rigorous. Inspect your lover’s insides with a torch. Take pictures. Stimulate her while you conduct your exam and comment detachedly on the way it makes her cunt move, etc, etc.

Roleplay

Strapping your partner down to the table makes for a great medical roleplay, but that’s not the only scenario that’s open to you. You could also be a prison officer searching an inmate for contraband, or an alien probing an abductee. A little dialogue and a lot of imagination can make the process of a speculum exam infinitely hotter.

Bondage

Whatever roleplay scenario fits your play, it can probably be made even more exciting with a little bondage. Cuffs and straps are great for medical play, but you can also combine an examination with handcuffs, rope, a gag, or any number of other exciting bondage options.

Restraining your partner in some way is a very quick means by which to increase their vulnerability, and make the experience way more intense.

Insertables and fluids

When your partner is vulnerable and open during a speculum exam great fun can be had with insertables and fluids. Use a lube syringe to squirt a slippery load into their body, or stimulate them by inserting a vibrator, or pressing it up against the metal of the speculum.