Question: A year and a half ago I had my hood pierced vertically. One day (about 4 months ago) I noticed that I had little to no sensation in my clitoris. To my dismay, this is still the case. My libido seems fine and intercourse still feels the same. I am worried that my piercing has caused the nerves endings in my clitoral region to become unresponsive. I took my piercing out about a week ago and haven’t noticed a change. What is going on with my body, and is it permanent??? Just so you know, I am taking beta-blockers for migraines but have been on this medication for years now. Also, I left home for university at around the same time my “problem” began. Could either of these factors be playing a part???
Answer: I have heard that some women find the constant stimulation and contact of the jewelry against their clitoral glans causes a temporary loss of sensation. In addition, the newness of the piercing and jewelry wears off. The jewelry rubbing directly against your clitoral glans perhaps felt new and wonderful at first but now you are accustomed to the more intense stimulation and it no longer feels as intense. It is my understanding after removing the jewelry, with time, your sensitivity will return. I do not know how long this will take. I am not aware of any scientific information on the frequency of women experiencing a decrease in sensation after getting a vertical clitoral hood piercing, or if there is an actual loss in sensitivity or only a perceived decrease.
You do not mention if you are experiencing orgasmic impairment. If your clitoris is less sensitive, experiencing orgasm could be more difficult, unless you experience vaginal orgasms. You may need to apply some lubricant to your clitoris at bedtime to help stimulate the nerves and connect with this area. You do not need to masturbate to orgasm, only stimulate the nerves, to say hello basically.
If your clitoris is less sensitive, it may require intense stimulation for you to reach orgasm, water spray or a vibrator, but that could make things worse in the long run. If you are growing sexually frustrated that may be a desirable option.
The stress of leaving home could affect your libido and sexual responsiveness, but if you still have the same frequency of erotic dreams, fantasies, and thoughts that is less likely to be the case.Beta-blockers may cause "decreased sexual ability".
More information a beta-blockers and sexual performance can be found on this page:
http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2001/01_01/goldstein.htm