Gas fisting protection with Oves

An Oves cervical cap and a pair of Chacott pointe-shoes

The perils of Gas Fisting: Gas Fisting for the purpose of this post is defined as having compressed air intentionally forced into the vagina of a willing (or unwilling) woman. As far as I know being Gas Fisted is very rare and extremely dangerous which probably explains its rarity. I’m writing about it now because one of my students asked me about it today in my class on Advanced Sexual Techniques. Her boyfriend wanted to do it to her telling her that it was a quick way to flush coital discharge from her vagina. She asked if a diaphragm being used for contraception or as ‘flood protection’, to prevent the hydraulics of a partners thrusting from forcing water into her uterus, would provide effective protection if he forced pressurized gas into her. The short answer is no, it will not!

No currently available cervical barrier or FC2 condom will provide any protection if a woman is Gas Fisted. The few incidents I’m familiar with have all occurred where the woman is in a bikini or beavertail jacket and SCUBA gear where there was easy access to her vulva and a source of compressed gas from a buddy reg on an octopus or her partner’s reg was available and have all occurred w/o the victim’s permission.

Present Barrier protection is ineffective: Readers of my posts will recall that I routinely use the latex Reflexions flat spring contraceptive diaphragm as effective ‘flood insurance’ while diving to prevent water or gas bubbles from being forced into my uterus by the hydraulics of a partner’s thrusting. Neither the Reflexions nor any other cervical barrier currently commercially available will protect a woman against serious injury if high pressure gas is released into her vagina.

That’s because a jet of compressed gas from a 2^nd stage reg will stretch the vaginal rugae inflating the vagina like a balloon causing the bladder to immediately empty and occasionally the bowels as well. Worse however is that the nearly instantaneously inflated vagina will break even the strongest seal of any diaphragm or FemCap being worn for protection because diaphragm rims and FemCap brims form their seals by pressing tightly against the vaginal walls. The seal of a cervical barrier being breached allows the gas and any water it is pushing to be forced into the wearer’s uterus and fallopian tubes where it could cause PID and infertility or a gas bubble could possibly enter the bloodstream if she was menstrual or recently had an abortion or given birth.

Effective protection: The only cervical barriers that will provide effective protection from the serious side effects of Gas Fisting are the latex Prentif cavity rim cap and the much smaller transparent silicone Oves cap because they suction directly on the walls of the cervix so external pressure will force them down tighter on the cervix.  Unfortunately, neither Prentif nor Oves are still being made. However, there are a few of us still using a Prentif or Oves who can survive a mischievous partner Gas Fisting us.

Too, for a very few of us wanting to tempt fate we can screw a Prentif or Oves down tight on our cervix and have a lover intentionally Gas Fist us or do it ourselves to prove to we still have the nerve or luck to survive.  There is no accounting for the extent to which some of us will go for thrills. Experiencing the massive high that sort of ‘cheating death’ recklessness brings when I successfully survive an intentional Gas Fisting leaves me boneless and gasping savoring how marvelously alive I feel!  

Latex Prentif cavity rim cervical caps like the ones shown above are the only devices other than Oves that will provide effective protection for a woman who is Gas Fisted.

A latex Reflexions flat spring diaphragm in its case shown with an introducer.  The Reflexions diaphragm shown above provides no protection from a Gas Fisting.

A silicone FemCap (shown above) provides no protection from a Gas Fisting

Rubber fetishists and the latex diaphragm

A latex Reflexions flat spring diaphragm in its case with an introducer

The Photo: One of my 80mm Reflexions latex flat spring contraceptive diaphragms I wear to introduce rubber fetishists to the delights of sex using a latex diaphragm. The diaphragm introducer was used as an insertion aid for new users, but introducers are no longer being made.

Rubber fetishists and latex cervical barriers: My current primary partner and therapist, Marvin or ‘Morning Wood’ as I teasingly call him for obvious reasons (if you saw him when he wakes up in the morning), was asked to give a talk about the psychology of fetishes to an elite group of male latex fetishists. Marvin and I had met most of them and their wives at Alexei’s. Returning readers will recall Alexei and his daughter, Veronika, who is a ballet dancer with a major London Company, are a neighbors of mine living two homes down in the same terrace on Eaton Square.

The men’s fetish group is actually a small club that meets at member’s homes in the west end of London. My fitting one of the member’s mistresses with a latex diaphragm at Marvin’s suggestion (she is his patient) as a way to increase pressure on her lover’s glans and the experience with it inserted was so positive for the member that Marvin was asked to give a talk to the members and their mistresses about the pleasures of penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) and the psychology behind use of a latex diaphragm both for protection and the subconscious desire to impregnate the wearer. 

I was asked to accompany Marvin to demonstrate diaphragm preparation, insertion, removal and sterilization and even fit a few mistresses with Reflexions if they had suitable anatomies and weren’t allergic to latex. Or even take a few of the members for a ‘test drive’ myself to let them see for themselves how it feels from a male prospective.  Only one member, one of the younger ones, asked to have sex with me while I had a Reflexions inserted. All this past week I have been fertile – I ovulated yesterday (2/20) - so I ‘double bagged’ and wore an Oves cervical cap screwed down tight on my ripe cervix under the latex diaphragm.

It was quite an honor for Marvin as a psychiatrist and rubber fetishist to be asked to speak before the group as the important men and women in the group can open doors and increase the positive profile of the latex diaphragm not only as a latex fetishist’s toy, but as an effective contraceptive alternative for women with hormonal and copper/nickel allergies.    

The latex Reflexions diaphragms and the Prentif cavity rim cap are under appreciated devices that are useful for a rubbrist with a latex fetish. When hormonal birth control became generally available in the mid 60s use of latex cervical barriers began to decline so that now about 0.2% of women using birth control use a diaphragm or cervical cap.  So a young rubber fetishist today may have no knowledge that his or her grandmother probably wore a diaphragm (if she was in the U.S.) or a Prentif cervical cap (if she was in Europe) for contraception. A cervical barrier can be a thrill when clandestinely worn by a woman partner needing one for contraception or willing to wear a latex cervical barrier as a latex fetishist herself or for a fetishist boyfriend.

Pros and cons of latex barriers: On the cons side; the wearer and her partner should not be allergic to latex and the device must be correctly fitted for effective use. A diaphragm that is too large can pinch the urethra and contribute to a UTI while if wearing one too small her partner can hit the rim which is uncomfortable and could cause to him under-thrusting the rim and ejaculate in the dome which is a problem that can lead to pregnancy when it’s being used for birth control.  In addition a latex device has a shorter useful life as it is susceptible to accelerated deterioration from oily lubes and meds. Too, a latex diaphragm that has been continuously inserted for longer than twenty-four hours will develop a strong odor that many find unpleasant.

On the Pro side some few hard-core rubber fetishists find the strong odor of a latex diaphragm marinated in the wearer’s vaginal secretions for more than a day highly arousing and have their girlfriends insert them Thursday night so the scent will be ripe by Friday evening where the couple (well, perhaps only he) can enjoy the scent for the weekend. Additionally, the heat transfer and elastic properties of a latex Reflexions diaphragm are far superior to that of the silicone Milex. The elasticity of the latex membrane makes it possible for a man with a long penis to stretch the latex dome into his partner’s anterior fornix filling it and squeezing his glans while the stretched dome pushes the cervix upward and deeper into her abdomen..

The fetishist’s wives: The wives of the members are all in their forties or fifty’s and know about, and in some cases are friendly with, their husbands mistresses. Their children are grown and as long as there is no divorce all seem willing to accept their status as the wife of a rich and powerful man with a lovely home, a chauffeured car and credit cards with very high limits. Some have the occasional boy-toy, but many seem to be glad there is a mistress to sate their husband’s sex drive and are glad that the trouble getting into and out of  latex clothing and the mess of sexual intercourse is over except when they want it. 

Through my introduction at Alexei’s party the wives know I train ballet dancers and a few other hard bodied young women to perfect their ballet and pelvic skills. I thought for a while I might be looked on as being sympathetic to men wanting mistresses and ostracized as a trainer of escorts for their husbands. Instead they were fascinated with what I do and interested in toning up their own pelvic anatomies and getting recommendations on the pros and cons of Boy-toys and the precautions to take with them before and after menopause.

Circe’s Lair: I’m thinking about upgrading part of one of the newer wings of Blackthorn Castle to make a small getaway destination for vanilla women who want to improve their sexual skills and call it Circe’s Lair.

In mythology Circe was the powerful Witch/Goddess who would make men do her bidding or turn them into animals. From what I’ve seen of aristocratic young British women there should be quite a market for a course that teaches my seductive techniques and pelvic skills.

Prentif and its sado-masochist use

A 25 mm Prentif cervical cap and hard shank Gaynors

The Prentif Cavity Rim cervical cap: The Prentif, approved by the FDA in the late 80s for use in the U.S as a contraceptive barrier, came in four sizes: 22, 25, 28, and 31mm, which were the internal dimensions of the base of the dome. I take a 25mm and bought several before the manufacturer, Lamberts, stopped making them in about 2005 and I continue to find wearing them fun. When forced down over a smooth walled cervix the cavity in the rim develops a strong suction that holds it securely on the cervix. Once the cap is properly positioned the tab on the shoulder of the rim (seen at about one-o’clock in the photo above) is used to turn the cap a full turn while pressing on the dome to ‘screw it down’ on the cervix.

When Prentif is used as intended, for contraception, it’s important to remember that the tab should be positioned behind the cervix after the turn to screw the cap down so that the edges aren’t hit by a thrusting penis. The Prentif, for those fortunate enough to have serviceable ones, can be worn continuously for 48 hours w/o using any additional spermicide. Prentif is as effective, about 94%, as a diaphragm for nulliparous women. For parous women cervical changes make the Prentif only about 85% effective. I think the biggest problem with the Prentif cap was that there was not size smaller than the 22mm, say about 19mm as a great many women who wanted to wear a Prentif had cervixes too small to be properly fitted.

Dimensions and fit: The 25mm cap is 4cm tall and when forced on to a typical 3 cm long cervix there is about a 2cm space between the tip of the cervix and the inside top of the dome. This space is usually partially filled with a spermicide as back-up contraception so if the cap displaces sperm will be immobilized by the spermicide in the dome. When the cap is suctioning well the vacuum in the domes of the 25 through 31 mm sizes will cause the top of the dome to dimple. The dome of the 22mm is too stiff to dimple under vacuum. A sign that the cap is too old and the latex is getting stiff is if the dome of 25mm and larger caps becomes permanently dimpled.

When I wore a Prentif as my primary method in the late 90s my fit was so tight that I never used spermicide in the dome and had to pry it off after a 48 hour wearing interval. If a woman wearing a 22mm Prentif was fertile and she wore the cap for the full 48 hour interval there was a possibility that the dome could fill with fertile cervical mucus and then when hit by a thrusting penis it could ‘float off’ her cervix. Even though I wear a 25mm I thought it was a good idea when fertile to wear Prentif for only 24 hours to make sure the dome wasn’t full and I didn’t have an accident.

Sado-Masochism and Prentif: The outer diameter of a 25mm cap is about 4cm at the base of the cap, thus increasing the diameter at the base of the cervix by about 1.5cm when the cap is properly positioned. The increase in length of the cervix by as much as 2cm (discussed above) and its diameter by 1.5cm increases the cervix ‘target’ size. This is a condition seemingly appreciated only by a few Prentif wearers and our partners in the BDSM community who enjoy cervical or penile glans battering (both of which are acquired tastes) if the man is not quite long enough to reach the cervix unaided.

Cervix battering: For cervix battering of a masochist partner most men don’t seem to mind thrusting into the Prentifs soft dome. The base containing the cavity rim is a bit stiffer, but if the shoulder tab is behind the cervix so it isn’t hit my partners say it’s not uncomfortable and often overlooked when the woman gasps or moans when he hits the dome straight on. If a nulliparous woman’s cervix is smooth and the cap correctly sized and screwed down tight a thrusting penis shouldn’t dislodge it.

Glans battering: For glans battering the shoulder tab is rotated so it faces the anterior wall of the vagina. That way the man is quite likely to hit the tab with some frequency. When glans battering is intended it’s best to have the man wear a well fitting cock ring to prevent him going flaccid when he hits the tab. Of course a man in a cock ring limits the duration of safe play to about 20 minutes. Very few male masochists can repeatedly hit the shoulder tab of a Prentif and retain an erection w/o wearing a cock ring. I’ve found that astride where I control the depth and direction of penetration or missionary where I’m wearing bedshoes to increase the range of my pelvic thrusts, are the best positions for battering a man’s glans.

Escorts, caution and the Prentif: For the few escorts who specialize in male penile sadism it’s a premium service. Using a Prentif that way takes experience (there are no classes) so she knows how to hit his glans a glancing blow with the tab to minimize the number of solid hits she takes to her cervix while causing him the most pain. That’s because uterine prolapse where the uterus drops into the vagina, is a common problem experienced by escorts who specialize in clients paying for rough cervical contact. Uterine prolapse in an escort is usually the end of her career since even with surgery afterward she is rarely the same.

In my teens it took me getting only a few solid blows to my cervix to learn to adjust my hips and pelvis to take glancing blows that stimulate my libido while minimizing the possibility of damage to the muscles and ligaments holding my uterus in place. Of course working out with Ben Wa balls as we all do is very good exercise to strengthen the pelvic muscles to avoid a prolapse.

Contraceptive sabotage

Contraceptive sabotage, a push-pin pregnancy

Naughty’s and sabotage: For women new to the scene the front room of the Meat Market at Naughty Pleasures can be a thrilling but risky adventure. Condom sabotage is a fairly common pastime for some regulars at Naughty’s. We have undercover security women, who try and catch these guys, but they are like cockroaches and we can’t get rid of them all. On-site hookups or take-out relationships for women who rely solely on condoms and don’t use EC as back-up can often result in their partners leaving them with a little something to remember him by. If I’m looking for a quick load not from a Mister Right but a Mr. Right Now I use my own condoms. Not because I’m afraid of conceiving, but to minimize the possibility of being given a STI which can easily be transmitted through pin-holes. The back room at Naughty’s (the STI screened area) where sexually experienced women gather is far safer from the standpoint of exposure to STIs and unintended pregnancy.

Reduced effectiveness: It’s a shame so few women understand their bodies and how to safely use the various methods of contraception available. That goes for men as well if they are into fantasy conception. However, women who are with men into ‘reality breeding’ of women have a different problem if they are insistent on using contraception.

If she fears her partner might sabotage her birth control the woman should be familiar with effective methods that can be used to sabotage her birth control so she can guard against them just as she watches her drink to see she isn’t slipped Rohypnol (flunitrazepam, also known as "roofies"). Here is a summery of some, but not all, methods that can be used to decrease the effectiveness of a woman’s contraception

Hormonal methods: Ideally, if a woman is using her hormonal method correctly her cycle is suspended and ovulation is suppressed so she is safe from pregnancy with an unprotected man. If she misses a pill or two or is late starting a new pack, inserting a new ring, changing a patch or getting her shot late her cycle can start and she will ovulate often w/o her realizing she is in danger unless she is familiar with her fertile signs; a ‘ripe’ high, soft, open cervix discharging a thick very slippery and stretchy cervical mucus and a greater interest in men and sex. If she isn’t impregnated about two weeks after ovulation she will have her period which will probably be off schedule which may be the first time she knows to review her regimen to see why she may have ovulated. If a woman is familiar with her menstrual cycle she can tell when she becomes fertile when she shouldn’t be.

If a woman on hormonal contraceptives takes a drug or herbal product that induces enzymes that metabolize contraceptive hormones the effectiveness of her birth control can be reduced. Some drugs in that category are barbiturates, topiramate (an antiseizure/ migraines and weight loss med), as well as some antibiotics. Ella (the EC pill) will block a woman’s progestin receptors for the rest of her cycle after taking it as EC. Over time these meds can work to reduce the effectiveness of Mirena, Skyla, Implanon/Nexplanon, Ortho Evra (the patch) and NuvaRing (the ring), Depo-Provera (the shot) as well as combined (estrogen/progestin) and mini-pill (progestin-only-pills). St John’s Wort will affect the estrogen in combined pills. There is no hormonal contraceptive that can’t be sabotaged if a man is clever and patient enough

Most of these interactive meds require an Rx, at least in the U.S. so women using them for medical reasons should be aware of their decreasing the effectiveness of hormonal birth control and avoid hormonal methods while on them. A man would need the assistance of a medical practitioner or pharmacist to obtain them for use against an unwilling woman.

NuvaRing: Women using NuvaRing (a vaginal ring) should be careful to destroy an old ring when removed. Otherwise a lover intent on sabotaging her protection can fish the old ring out of the trash and switch it with the new ring she just inserted during foreplay. If a guy wants to try that he should soak the ring he pulled from the trash in hot water for several days to ensure all the hormone is relased from the ring. Care should be taken that the water not be too hot that it melts the weld holding the ends of the ring together or he will have to fish another used NuvaRing out of the trash.

Barrier methods: Women using a barrier as their primary method of birth control are usually cycling naturally with a cycle of between 25 and 35 days. On average a woman’s natural cycle will vary around 28 days. Women cycling naturally usually keep a menstrual calendar so we aren’t surprised by our periods appearing w/o warning for those of us fortunate not to suffer from PMS.

Diaphragms, cervical caps and male and female condoms can be tampered with to lessen their effectiveness. Poor storage, of latex condoms in the glove compartment of a car in the summer or using after the use-by date has passed can be quite risky. Female condoms (the FC2) are made of nitrile and have no temperature storage limitations, just a 3 year shelf life set by the FDA. Latex condoms and latex and silicone cervical barriers can be damaged by using natural oils and petroleum based lubricants (Vaseline) with them.

Most barrier methods can be punctured by a pin or torn accidentally or intentionally by a sharp fingernail. Male latex condoms are especially vulnerable to being punctured though the FC2 and the silicone Semina and latex Reflexions diaphragms are also relatively easily torn. The FemCap dome is so thick it can’t be easily torn by a fingernail, but can be punctured. If the woman has a well fitting diaphragm or FemCap and the dome has been punctured it won’t develop a tight suction which is a tip-off that there is something wrong. Older vintage true cervical caps, which grip the cervix, like the latex Prentif cavity rim and the silicone Oves can also be easily punctured and affected by oily or petroleum based lubes. Oil based or petroleum based lubes can be identified by their scents. A woman concerned that an incorrect lube might be used should provide her own water based lube.

Breeding diaphragms: [condensed from my December 18, 2011 post about breeders] Since there has been an increase in the number of men asking for breeding encounters with our escorts I’ve started training the girls to use a ‘breeding diaphragm’. For rape fantasies I take a different approach when providing contraceptive protection that ‘accidentally’ fails. Rather than sabotage my partner’s condoms which they hate wearing anyway I wear what I call a breeding diaphragm. A breeding diaphragm is one that is two sizes smaller than the size the woman should wear for it to be effectively used for contraception. And it is worn ‘dry’, that is w/o spermicide in the dome. I’ve found the type diaphragms that work best as breeders are the Ortho All-Flex (arcing spring) or a Milex Omniflex (coil spring) rim styles.

When a woman has a diaphragm inserted that is considerably smaller than her correct size it is much easier for her partner/fantasist to under-thrust the rim with his penis and plant his seed under or in the dome so that when he withdraws the rim will reseal on the anterior wall of her vagina trapping almost all of his semen inside the dome where the tip of her cervix will be submerged in a pool of semen while she sleeps. Or if the couple is into bondage and the woman is tied down and to be gagged during the encounter an additional advantage of using a diaphragm during a rape/breeding encounter is that it can be pulled out by her attacker and shoved in her mouth as a gag.

Ideally an Ortho All-Flex is the best breeder because the rim is the easiest to under-thrust. However, the smallest size All-Flex is a 65mm and some adult women might take a 60mm in a breeder so they would need an Omniflex which makes a 60mm in a coil spring rim.

Someone unfamiliar with cervical barriers might ask why not use a cervical cap, such as FemCap for breeding? The answer is that while an improperly sized FemCap can be displaced off the cervix with a thrusting penis it may fill with semen, but it is very unlikely to reseat itself on the cervix after withdrawal. And a diaphragm rather than a FemCap is far safer for the woman since a FemCap if pulled out and used as a gag can easily be lodged in the woman’s throat and her partner, with his mind elsewhere, may think she is squirming in ecstasy when in fact she is being asphyxiated, especially if she has been penetrated from the rear, taken doggie style, where he can’t see her face.

Men wanting to surprise a partner can order a diaphragm on-line that is two sizes smaller than her correct size and ask to insert it himself as part of foreplay. If she checks after him to make certain her cervix is covered an alert woman can tell he has substituted a smaller one, but if her mind is elsewhere he can often get away with the substitution. If she doesn’t check that the diaphragm immediately after she lets him insert it and he is gentle while under-thrusting the rim the next time she might notice something is wrong is when she has very little coitial discharge or has trouble reaching the smaller device to remove it. It’s best for a man to have her accustomed to him inserting her regular size diaphragm so she is less likely to check when she is fertile and he substitutes a breeder in its place.

A note to my women readers: ALWAYS check to see that your cervical barrier is properly placed and developing the proper vacuum in the dome before any penile penetration.

The copper IUD: The Nova-T and Flexi-T in Canada, the ParaGard in the U.S and GyneFix implant (which we are using on a clinical trial basis) are all copper IUDs. A copper IUD is immune to being tampered with by being given something that would decrease its effectiveness unknown to the wearer. My clinic prefers the three year GyneFix implant placed w/o strings so a cervical barrier can be worn with no danger of the barrier pulling out the IUD upon removal after using it as flood insurance during dive-sex.

The only possibilities for decreasing the effectiveness of a copper IUD are to cause the wearer such strong uterine cramps they might displace the IUD or to tug on the strings and pull the IUD out. The latter is not usually painful and if done during menstrual sex the woman may not feel a thing and only notice when she intentionally feels for the strings. Women with new male partners should always check the strings of their IUDs before and after an encounter to be certain it is still where it should be.

How diaphragms and FemCap are fitted

A current Milex wide seal diaphragm fitting set.

Being fitted for a diaphragm or cap: On another forum a friend asked “How does a woman get fitted for a diaphragm or cervical cap?” I’ve written a great deal about the delights and problems with wearing a contraceptive diaphragm or cap, but I can’t recall ever posting about how one is fitted so I thought I’d write about that now.

Tools: The fitter should use a diaphragm fitting set. Currently available sets used in the U.S. contain one diaphragm in each of the five most commonly prescribed sizes (65 – 85mm) and the sizes are standardized across manufacturers in 5mm increments. I use an old Milex fitting set because it has the most sizes, eight, from 60mm to 95mm and they are silicone. The most recent Milex fitting set is shown in photo accompanying this post. If a fitter tells you that s/he doesn’t need a fitting set to properly size your diaphragm (and sometimes we get a patient who has been told that) you should terminate the visit and go to someone who knows what they are doing.

The fitting: For this discussion I’m assuming that the patient’s vagina isn’t blocked by an inelastic hymen that would prevent proper fitting and possibly intercourse and that her pelvic anatomy; post-pubic vault and cervical aspect will permit the effective use of a diaphragm. A bimanual (the first two fingers of the hand) exam is performed before which the bladder and bowels should be emptied. During the exam the fitter determines the tone of the pelvic floor, the amount of relaxation (which determines if an arcing, coil or flat spring rim would be best) and the depth of the vagina.

The distance from the posterior fornix to the back of the pubic bone is estimated by inserting the two fingers of a gloved hand behind the posterior fornix then bringing the thumb knuckle to rest on the pubic symphysis then removing the fingers with the thumb still in place. The distance from the longest finger to the thumb knuckle joint establishes the approximate size. With the thumb still in place the closest diameter diaphragm is selected from the fitting set to cover that distance. That’s the starting point.

I first try that one and if it seems to fit well I’ll try one size larger and one size smaller and have the patient feel the difference in the distances between the anterior rim and the back of her pubic bone for each so she knows what the rim of a correctly sized diaphragm feels like when checking with her fingers. Then I’ll have her walk around with the correct diaphragm inserted to show her than when properly inserted she can’t feel it. After which I’ll show her how to insert it and let her insert and remove the device several times while I’m there to answer questions.

Ideally, a woman using a diaphragm should have a pronounced post-pubic vault so the rim can be tucked up behind the pubic bone out of the way of a thrusting penis. A woman with a shallow or no post-pubic vault is not a good candidate because the anterior rim may be easily hit by the woman’s partner. With a properly fitted D in the unaroused state the woman should just be able to insert a finger between her pubic bone and the rim with the pad against the back of her pubic bone and the nail against the anterior rim.

It’s important that the patient should be unaroused during her fitting. She needs the largest size she can comfortably wear when unaroused. If she becomes aroused during her fitting she may be fitted with a too large diaphragm since when aroused the vagina lengthens (tents). Or, in an attempt to compensate for her arousal a fitter may prescribe a size that is too small for the patient. This may explain why some fitters seem to be prescribing diaphragms that are too small. A too large diaphragm, in addition to being uncomfortable, will press on the urethra and restrict urine flow which can contribute to a UTI. So it’s necessary to be very professional and quick when fitting patients. Even so quite a few patients become at least partially aroused. A too small diaphragm can be difficult to place correctly, more easily under-thrust and difficult to remove.

A woman should insert her D when she is not aroused. If she inserts when aroused, because the vagina lengthens, it becomes difficult and sometimes impossible to insert the D correctly. When that happens the posterior rim may go into the anterior fornix and the D is comfortable (as long as she remains aroused) while her cervix is unprotected. That’s why it is very important once the woman thinks her D is correctly placed, to feel with her fingers for her cervix under the dome. If she can’t feel her cervix under the dome it is not protecting her and she should remove and reinsert it.

The correct size of a diaphragm is weight sensitive. If a woman has a weight change of +/- 7 pounds she should have her fit checked. Typically (but not always) a weight gain will require a smaller size and a weight loss will require a larger size. A check to see if the diaphragm is too large, and pressing on the urethra, is to insert the diaphragm correctly when unaroused then urinate. There should be no restriction in urine flow. A properly sized and correctly inserted diaphragm is just as effective for parous women as nulliparous ones.

Cervical cap fitting: Currently there is only one cervical cap available in the U.S., FemCap. The maker’s website www.femcap.com has fitting guidelines that stress the woman’s obstetrical history as being the primary factor in determining which cap she should choose. However, it is a very good idea to have a proper fitting by an experienced FemCap fitter because aside from OB history some women’s cervix are larger or smaller than ‘the average’ (I take a 26mm when the guidelines say I should wear a 22mm) and some may have an anteverted or retroverted cervix that makes them a poor candidate for FemCap. That’s because the outer wall of the brim should seal flush against the vaginal wall and if the cervix is tipped significantly part of the brim won’t seal properly and will stick out where it will be hit by a thrusting penis. A properly fitting FemCap should seal flush against the vaginal wall and not touch the walls of the cervix. Contraceptive Technology says that FemCap is less effective for women who have given birth than for those who haven’t. FemCap can be purchased on-line w/o an Rx, but if you have purchased the wrong size or the cervix isn’t positioned to allow a good seal against the vaginal walls you are out the money for a device you can’t use.

Cervical caps like the Prentif cavity rim and Oves (now no longer generally available) were sized differently as they developed their seal by fitting tightly against the wall of the cervix, which meant that women who were good candidates for Prentif or Oves needed a smooth walled cervix with no flat spots, bumps or irregularities from birth trauma.

Brenda on fun with diaphragms

A selection of diaphragms from 3 manufacturers

The photo shows: This is an old photo showing three different makers’ contraceptive diaphragms. From the top, left to right are the latex Ortho All-Flex arcing spring rim, a Milex silicone wide seal available in arcing and coil spring styles, and a latex Ortho White which has a coil spring rim. The device with the clear dome and cherry rim is a Semina made of silicone in Brazil. Ortho converted the All-Flex from latex to silicone in the 4th quarter of 2008 and stopped making the Ortho White entirely at the same time. Semina is not available in the U.S. I can’t find a photo that includes the Lamberts latex Reflexions flat spring rim style with other diaphragms so I have included a photo of it further on in this entry.

Brenda’s comment: Since Brenda, a frequent reader and diaphragm wearer, posted a long comment to an earlier post I thought I’d re-post the entire comment and my reply in its own blog entry where other readers are more likely to read and comment on it. Brenda wrote:

Brenda September 27, 2012 7:24 AM
Just some girl talk and my thanks. Maybe or not some readers will find some interest. Up to you.

I really want to thank you for getting me back in touch with the importance of diaphragms to me. How many women still own every one they ever purchased? Including a rather fragile one over thirty years old. Must be important and likely harkens back to my secondary school days (always a diaphragm and usually a condom as well) and reactionary time at university after the chief lesbian on campus dumped me. I went through a period of denying my lesbian side and tried to fuck my way through the entire student body. Almost made it. So the exceptional activity, with a diaphragm in place, has inextricably linked my sex life with a diaphragm.

I now nearly always wear it to bed and have wandered out daytimes with it in place as well. On my recent trip to Africa, I went to the airport, which uses full body scanners, with it in place. As I approached security, it dawned on me that the spring would be quite visible on the scan and I found that somehow exciting. Whoever was looking had to wonder whether I was preparing to join the mile high club or I was freshly fucked. Likely gave them something to talk about all day.

Also, the new diaphragm recently had its semen baptism. It occurred to me that there was no medical reason for my wearing one but it should not denied its own experience of being flooded with an ejaculation. A medical conference provided the opportunity - as often as I would have wished. I met a very young doctor at the health club and made certain he had the chance to check everything out. We went to his room because I did not want a stranger in mine. He was young, virile and not very accomplished. Still dumped three loads against the diaphragm which I dutifully left in place until the next morning and removed to the usual aroma of putrefying semen, washed it and laid it out to dry on a towel. I wondered if the young maid even knew what it was. Years ago, that was likely a common event in hotel rooms but few younger women have even seen a diaphragm. Fortunately and unusual for me, I used a douche premix because later in the day I encountered a past lover and we decided we had better things to do than attend a dull lecture. This time in my room so that I could get the diaphragm back in. With a much more accomplished, and familiar partner, the sex was much better.

I really think that the saving grace for my new young friend was the rubbing of the G-Spot by the diaphragm rim as you have described. Though it fits me perfectly, his penis was such that he likely was pushing the dome into the anterior fornix and moving the rim slightly.

Any way, having found your blog quite by accident I have found it interesting and it has re-enabled some old behaviors that are quite enjoyable. If only some of the lurkers would join in more!

Thanks and hugs

A latex Reflexions flat spring diaphragm

Fetish uses of a flat spring diaphragm: Both Brenda and I prefer a latex flat spring diaphragm for fetish use. I’ll let her discuss why she prefers a flat spring. Returning readers may recall that I like wearing Reflexions because it is nearly impossible for a mischievous lover to under-thrust a correctly sized and properly inserted flat spring diaphragm as the rim will not flex when rammed at an oblique angle by a penis and the latex dome is far more flexible and the heat transfer properties much better than with silicone diaphragms. Too, with the soft stretchy dome even an inexperienced lover can give me a G-spot orgasm if I adjust my hips to have him thrust into my anterior fornix where he will move the rim just enough to caress my G-spot.

For my fetishist lovers I like that a latex diaphragm will develop a much stronger rubbery scent from being marinated over night in a combination of my vaginal fluids and a lover’s semen. That can be a turn-off for some users, but most of my men are rubberists and fond of the rubbery stench of well used ‘vaginal rubber’. After a quick wash and insertion of another flat spring, while the one just removed soaks in a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar to remove the odor, and I’m good to go. I do ‘double bag’ wearing an Oves screwed down tight on my cervix because some of my unprotected lovers have been known to pull out my diaphragm just after filling me with sperm. The only down-side to a latex diaphragm is that it can’t be used by woman with a latex allergy. And latex even when well cared for doesn’t last as long as a silicone device. Fortunately neither Brenda nor I are allergic to latex.

My reply to Brenda’s comment:

[Jill] Hi Brenda, I’m so glad you are back safely from Rwanda, it sounds like such a dangerous place.

[Brenda] I really want to thank you for getting me back in touch with the importance of diaphragms to me.

[Jill] I’m pleased that I’ve been able to reawaken in you the fascination and thrill I feel when protecting myself from the most common consequence of engaging in penetrative sex with men when I insert a cervical barrier. I feel more confident and alluring; I’m more sexually assertive and still feel just a bit naughty knowing I’m ready to play without additional preparation when the man I’m with thinks the moment is right, except for emptying my bowels and bladder first if possible.

[Brenda] How many women still own every one they ever purchased?

[Jill] I imagine the number is quite small. As I’ve mentioned in posts to this blog I was introduced to diaphragms (the latex Ortho All-Flex) at boarding school when I was 14, in 1985, and then switched to a Prentif which was approved by the FDA in 1988, when I was 22, in 1993, when my cervix was large enough that I could wear the 25mm. I was astonished since I had tried in my teens to be fitted and I was too small for the 22mm! Then it was a combination of the Prentif and All-Flex - until the late 90s when I tried Ortho Tri-Cyclen for three years, which dried me out and killed my libido, and I came back to cervical barriers when the Oves cap became available. It was available over-the counter at Boots in the UK, but only on-line for those of us in the U.S. When there started to be shortages of Oves in my size, the 26mm, I stocked up before the manufacturer stopped making them. So now, If I’m careful and don’t get preggers so the size of my cervix changes, I should have enough Oves caps (I can get multiple cycles from a single cap) to get me well into menopause.

[Brenda] So the exceptional activity, with a diaphragm in place, has inextricably linked my sex life with a diaphragm

[Jill] I think the fact that there is a physical barrier in place to block a partner’s sperm is one of the things I like most about diaphragms and caps. I was never really sure the pill was working, other than it made me terribly dry and want to avoid sex with men I otherwise wanted to be ravished by.

[Brenda] As I approached security, it dawned on me that the spring would be quite visible on the scan and I found that somehow exciting. Whoever was looking had to wonder whether I was preparing to join the mile high club or I was freshly fucked. Likely gave them something to talk about all day.

[Jill] After being pulled out of line twice by TSA screeners in Vegas for wearing a Milex Omniflex (because it has a deeper dome) while menstrual to show a female supervisor a blood filled diaphragm and she didn’t seem apologetic at all. I’ve tried when I can to use private aircraft where the screening is less rigorous, or wear a Diva Cup. Other than the delay (I wanted coffee before my flight) it didn’t bother me because in my profession I undress regularly for men so I went into performance mode and wasn’t shy about it at all. I just did get my coffee.

[Brenda] It occurred to me that there was no medical reason for my wearing one but it should not denied its own experience of being flooded with an ejaculation.

[Jill] I agree that every cervical barrier should be christened with highly motile sperm even if the intention is to only insert it as a confidence builder in situations where being celibate is the best policy.

[Brenda] He was young, virile and not very accomplished. Still dumped three loads against the diaphragm which I dutifully left in place until the next morning and removed to the usual aroma of putrefying semen,

[Jill] I love the enthusiasm and stamina of the young ones and if you have them for a while most of them can be trained to perform at very high levels and the training process can be such a joy! I’ve mentioned this before and I know it’s an acquired taste, but I always love the scent of a latex diaphragm after leaving it to marinate in the mixture of my vaginal secretions and a lover’s ejaculate over night. The pungent rubbery fragrance emanating from a ripe diaphragm brings back fond memories of marvelous sex from the night before.

[Brenda] I wondered if the young maid even knew what it was. Years ago, that was likely a common event in hotel rooms but few younger women have even seen a diaphragm.

[Jill] I agree! Less than 1% of women using contraception in the U.S. wear a diaphragm or FemCap and FemCap seems to be catching on because the manufacturer says it can be sized by the woman’s OB history and plays down the need for a traditional fitting, which results an a good many poorly fitting FemCaps in the U.S.

[Brenda] I really think that the saving grace for my new young friend was the rubbing of the G-Spot by the diaphragm rim as you have described. Though it fits me perfectly, his penis was such that he likely was pushing the dome into the anterior fornix and moving the rim slightly.

[Jill] I’m so pleased that you and your young admirer had that experience! Wasn’t that amazing!

[Brenda] If only some of the lurkers would join in more!

[Jill] It is fun corresponding with readers. I have a few regular readers, but most I think read me for the kinks I have that appeal to them and because I write about the life I lead which to some, if not most, I suppose might seem like a fantasy.

If you believe what my readers say about themselves they are: 54% male and 46% female, 48% are 18-34, 32% are 35-48 and 16% are over 50. 73% have no children. In that mix there are a lot of fantasists that my lifestyle might appeal to, and I appreciate every one of them!

Prentif crush depth side effects.

The cervix on cycle day 7, just past menses

The photo: taken on CD7 it shows a healthy symmetrical cervix perfectly shaped for the effective use of a Prentif cavity rim cervical cap.

Dive-sex and a Prentif Death Rubber: I was fortunate to be able to recently check off another of the cervical barriers (in my size) I harvest from the bodies of women who die during a sexual encounter. Returning readers will remember I call the protective rubber clothing, shoes and devices harvested from those women ‘death rubber.’ I especially love to wear a death rubber cervical barrier. Because it provided intimate protection to its former owner I feel it contains far more of the Chi of the woman who was wearing it when she died. The dead woman’s Chi combined with my own increases my libido amazingly.

I was lucky to happen upon a 23 y/o woman, a well-bred Brit-Chick rubberist with a plumy Berkshire accent, who had a Prentif. Lucky because Prentif have been discontinued for more than seven years and amazingly it was a 25mm which is my size! Actually, the woman from whom I harvested my Prentif death rubber found me since she was a guest at The Lorelei, Adolph’s spa in the hills outside town. She was interested in rough dive-sex and I had been recommended to her as a fitter for a barrier to be use as a gas-guard/flood insurance, because she wanted to experience a rough underwater sexual encounter. For contraception she was ‘on the jab’ as she called it, the Depo-subQ Provera 104 injection so she had no concern about an unplanned pregnancy.

I gave her a thorough pelvic and fit her with a Reflexions 75mm flat spring latex diaphragm. After her diaphragm fitting she asked if I thought she was a good candidate for a Prentif cavity rim cervical cap because she had purchased a 25mm from a midwifery supply store. I asked how she had determined the size and she said she bought the smallest size they had. Sigh! During her pelvic I saw she had a lovely smooth and symmetrical cervix which would be ideal for wearing a Prentif so we broke the seal on the box took the 25mm cap out of its case and I inserted it slipping it on to her cervix and screwed it down tight. The cavity in the rim established a strong suction on the cervical wall gripping her cervix and the dome dimpled, as it should, indicating there was a strong vacuum in the dome. She was so lucky! It fit perfectly! She was delighted because she liked the idea of the dome being an extension of her cervix making it easier for a partner to ram, which as a sexual masochist she enjoyed. I knew exactly what she meant as I’m that way myself! I cautioned her that if she wanted her partner to ram the dome she should be sure to turn the tab on the shoulder of the rim so that it faced her posterior fornix so it wouldn’t hurt her partner and had her reach in while pushing down and turn the tab to the back herself.

Diving the Prentif: Some women can take more pressure on their cervix than others and there is no way to know which is which until they pressure test a cervical cap either on a dive or preferably in a hyperbaric chamber, but the HC option is unlikely because there are almost no hyperbaric facilities available for that sort of testing. Some women seem to delight in having the cervix gripped tightly while others can’t stand even having a Prentif’s cavity rim sucking on the base of their cervix. So when I fitted my patient with the Prentif - before I’d done my hyperbaric chamber research about diving cervical caps and found the crush depth of a Prentif was approximately 30 feet - I already had my suspicions that if the cap wasn’t forced off the cervix when the dome was compressed by the increased pressure it would squeeze her cervix so tightly she’d probably be unable to function from pain and nausea. So I cautioned her not to go too deep because there is a tipping point where the discomfort seems manageable or perhaps even enjoyable at depth and then a few feet deeper the pain suddenly becomes unbearable. I’ve tried taking 800mg of ibuprofen before a HC test dive to see if it upped my pain threshold and it did marginally, but only enough to give me time to try to ascend to get away from the pain if I’d gone too far. I’ve found that for me other than the pain, which I enjoy, there is no warning. One minute I’m doing fine. The next I’m having terrible cramps and vomiting, which when diving can be fatal.

An opportunity: So, a few days later I got a call from Adolph. A guest at The Lorelei has had an incident during a BDSM dive encounter he said and he needs my help tidying up loose ends. I got to the Spa to find the guest still at the bottom of her suites encounter pool. It was one of the new suites with the 40 ft deep pools. She was dressed all in black; a rubber catsuit, weighted pool-pointes, hood, gloves and a FFM with a short tank so it wouldn’t impair her partner’s access when penetrating her from the rear. She was wearing a buoyancy compensator and when I got there the body was in the fetal position on its side with it’s legs drawn up to the chest in a locked metal cage on the bottom with a cable and hook connected to the top that ran to a winch suspended above the surface of the pool.

It was obvious to me that Adolph had been the partner of the woman in the cage when or shortly before she got in trouble. He had often fantasized to me about that sort of dungeon set-up, but I hadn’t known he had actually built it. He said they had sex in the cage at15 feet below the surface and everything was fine then he had left her to raise the cage and the winch gearbox failed and the cage went all the way to the bottom. He wanted me to go down and retrieve the body. I just laughed and said he better call an mechanic because there was no way I was going in that cage underwater unless he was in a straight jacket and sedated. He just smiled and said I knew him too well then took the remote out of his pocket and raised the cage and swung it on to the pool deck.

The body: She was totally encased in rubber except for her vulva that was showing through the open relief zipper. I hit the quick release latches on her FFM spider and pulled off her mask. The oral nasal unit was filled with vomit and the stench of gastric juices nearly made me gag. She has suffocated, drowning in her own vomit. Her face was twisted in fear and pain, but I still recognized her as my 25mm Prentif patient of a few days earlier. Her wrists had been restrained with zip-ties and fastened to the bottom strap that held her air tank on its backboard. At first I didn’t understand why her hands had been tied and then I realized it was so she couldn’t reach the Prentif I was almost certain she was wearing. It was just the sort of diabolical thing Adolph would do; place a woman he just had sex with in a situation where as her depth increased so did her pain. Was it an accident and he hadn’t intended to kill her just to apply exquisite torture using her own reproductive tract? Or, did he want to see what happened regardless of the consequences?

Benefit analysis: I am certain that the HD video of the Prentif-girl encounter will be a dive snuff-porn best seller for rubberiest as well as dive-sex fetishists in Europe and Asia. I did my usual vaginal search of the corpse and found she was indeed wearing the 25mm Prentif I’d first screwed onto her cervix. It took me several minutes to glove-up push her uterus down where I could easily reach her cervix and get two fingers under the rim to break the vacuum and pop it off her cervix. It was full of blood and pieces of endometrium, but hadn’t come loose. The cap itself seemed to have survived in good condition. I could hardly wait to try wearing it myself! I cleaned it well and sterilized it by soaking it in alcohol then checked it closely again to make certain there was no damage to the rubber so I have my first Prentif death rubber! I’m wearing it as I write this and I like to think the previous owner has contributed to this entry. I realize there are severe depth limitations to diving a Prentif, but the surge in my sex drive from her Chi make it a must-wear to residential pool parties where pools used for encounters are no more than 15 feet deep.

Adolph says that the woman had left an Advanced Medical Directive and a will (she told him she had no family) to the affect that if something happened to her while training at the spa her body should be cremated and her ashes scattered in the desert. The coroner ruled she ‘died by misadventure’ when it was found from her medical records that she had a known history of seizures, which she hadn’t listed on the required medical questionnaire at The Lorelei before being allowed to dive nor had her seizure history been on the history she gave our clinic before I fit her barriers. Personally, I’m convinced that the pain got continually worse from the dome squeezing her cervix as she sank below a depth of 25 feet until it caused uterine cramping so severe that she vomited as a side effect of diving her Prentif too deep.

Diving cervical caps while fertile

Clockwise from the top: FemCap, Oves & Prentif cervical caps

Self fitting cervical caps: Before I begin, a warning to do-it-yourselfers, self fitting of cervical caps is not a good idea and should be avoided if you plan to use one for contraception or flood insurance. That’s because:

• The FemCap maker says that a woman’s OB history is the primary indicator of her cap size. However, that is not always the case and in addition a severely anteverted or retroverted cervix will not allow the brim to seal properly against the vaginal walls and cause the cap to fail and the male partner to hit the brim. FemCap was approved for a continuous wearing interval of 48 hours.
• Self fitting a Prentif can be even more difficult because it suctions on the wall of the cervix itself and it comes in only 4 sizes so a significant percentage of women who wanted Prentif couldn’t be fitted. The wall of the cervix must be symmetrical and smooth so that the cavity rim can seal tightly around the entire circumference to develop the strong suction that holds the cap in place. Prentif hasn’t been produced for at least 5 years so availability is extremely limited and experienced fitters are very difficult to find. Prentif was approved for a continuous wearing interval of 48 hours.
• Oves, when it was available, over-the-counter in the UK, was the easiest to self-fit because you could buy a fitting kit with one of each of the three sizes and the dome was so soft that a woman could fairly easily fit herself, but it still required having a smooth cervical wall so the toothed rim could grip the cervix tightly. The dome membrane clings to the cervix by surface tension. Oves was approved in the EU for a continuous wearing interval of 72 hours.

Diving cervical caps while fertile: As I write this I’m CD3 and bleeding heavily so I’m wearing a Milex Omniflex for flow control for the five or six days of my period, unless I want menstrual sex, then I will switch to a flat spring so I can more fully enjoy the encounter and to minimize the possibility of under-thrusting. Returning readers know that my primary cervical barrier for contraception and flood insurance is an Oves cervical cap, but cervical caps can’t be worn effectively during menses.

Before I dive I always remove, empty, clean and reinsert my Oves cap so that the dome will be empty of cervical secretions when I enter the water. That way, when pressure collapses the dome, it won’t force the secretions out breaking the seal and cause the Oves to displace off my cervix. It’s necessary to stay well hydrated and I empty my bladder before diving because diving is very dehydrating. Water pressure squeezes fluids out of body tissues and into the kidneys. Even after emptying before entering the water the pressure will invariably cause me to need to urinate if I’m underwater for 30 minutes or longer and I end up peeing in the pool anyway. Severe dehydration can lead to loss of stamina, overheating and low blood pressure during a dive so going into a dive well hydrated is very important.

On the plus side for women divers dehydration due to diving minimizes menstrual flow and also fertile cervical mucus which is a good thing for divers wearing cervical caps for protection. From my own experience and discussions with other women divers the reduced uterine/cervical secretions while underwater seem to be a common side effect of diving for those of us of reproductive age. Emptying my cervical cap before each dive has worked well for me as I’ve never had a cap displace during an underwater sexual encounter. When I’m not fertile or menstrual and will be underwater for long intervals I take a 0.1mg tablet of Minirin (desmopressin acetate) an hour before I dive and then I don’t have to pee for about eight hours. It can react with antidepressants and pain meds but I’m not on any and have had no side effects with such a low dose.

The question: I had wondered what it felt like to have a cap displace, or float off my cervix, but until the multiplace hyperbaric chamber recently became available at Adolph’s training facility [I wrote about it in my post for July 1, 2012 entitled: The vacuum sealed cervix] I had no safe and effective way to see for myself what would happen if I dived my caps with spermicide and copious cervical secretions in the domes. So several weeks ago, when I was fertile this past cycle, I experimented with my cervical caps; 26mm silicone FemCap, 25mm latex Prentif and 26mm silicone Oves to see what happened when the domes collapsed from squeeze while filled with secretions. I wore each on a test dive in the hyperbaric chamber to simulate dives to 66 feet, three atmospheres (ATA), and how much that affected any thrust buffering the domes provide. The results are below.

A silicone rubber FemCap


The FemCap full dome test dive: After wearing my 26mm FemCap for two days, with a ¼ tsp of spermicide in the dome (as called for) and 36 hours of fertile cervical mucus (FCM) discharge in the dome I simulated a 66 foot dive in the hyperbaric chamber. Before proceeding I checked that the cap was properly in place by squatting and pressing upward on the strap and dome for more than 10 seconds to make sure the cap was correctly positioned with strong suction.

Then while lying on my back on one of the beds as the pressure increased and I worked to equalize the pressure in my ears and sinuses I inserted two fingers in my vagina to feel any changes in the dome due to squeeze. As I expected the pressure forced my cervix deeper into the dome then the dome collapsed filling any remaining void between the top and my cervix. At 15 feet it wasn’t painful just a lot of pressure, but as I passed the 2 atmosphere depth, 33 ft., the pressure became very uncomfortable then disappeared entirely as I felt the spermicidal gel and fertile cervical mucus gushing out between the brim and my vaginal walls as the cap was floated off my cervix. It was just as I thought; as the cervix fills the dome spermicide and cervical secretions were squeezed out by the pressure breaking the seal and dislodging the cap. A dislodged FemCap provides no contraceptive protection. Only the spermicide remains as a contraceptive barrier and any thrust buffering a properly placed FemCap can provide may disappear unless the cap is forced back on to the cervix by a thrusting penis.

A pair of 22mm latex Prentif cavity rim cervical caps:


The Prentif cavity rim cap test dive: Two days after FemCap I tested my 25mm Prentif cap. Prentif is no longer made, but was very popular in Europe where caps were available long before the Prentif was approved by the FDA 1n 1988 for use in the U.S. so there are women both in the U.S and Europe still using them.

I had applied spermicide in the dome and worn my Prentif for 36 hours while fertile so that it would have plenty of FCM in the dome before I went into the hyperbaric chamber and increased the pressure to three ATA. Again, while lying on my back on one of the beds as the pressure increased and I worked to equalize the pressure in my ears and sinuses I inserted two fingers in my vagina to feel any changes in the dome due to squeeze. As I expected the pressure forced my cervix deeper into the dome then the dome collapsed filling any remaining void between the top and my cervix. But the dome of the 25mm Prentif is deeper than the FemCap dome and the pressure of having my cervix squeezed into the dome was more uncomfortable and then at 30 feet the dome collapsed, the cavity rim filled spermicide and FCM and the suction disappeared as the secretions were pushed out under the base of the rim and the Prentif floated off. It was still on my cervix, but not firmly attached and if I’d been having dive-sex with a bareback partner when it popped off I would have been in trouble and would have needed to use emergency contraception. A Prentif has some thrust buffering value. The tab on the shoulder of the cavity rim, to aid in screwing the cap on to the cervix, can hurt a partner so should be rotated to the back.

A pair of Oves silicone rubber cervical caps

The Oves cap test dive: Several hours after I removed my Prentif cap and my cervix had returned to normal I inserted my 26mm Oves cap and screwed it down tight on my cervix. At that point in my cycle I was two days before I ovulated the most fertile part of my cycle. I let the FCM build up again for 36 hours then as I had done for the other tests while lying on my back on one of the beds as the pressure increased and I worked to equalize the pressure in my ears and sinuses I inserted two fingers in my vagina to feel any changes in the dome due to squeeze. Because the dome is so thin and soft the FCM in the cap was squeezed out of the dome and the cap floated off at about 15 feet, less than the depth of an encounter pool. It sent a chill down my spine as I realized that wearing an Oves with a days worth of FCM in the dome on a dive-sex encounter would quite possibly result in an unintended pregnancy.

Not that I wear my Oves that way as I mentioned earlier, but I’d come to think of being invincible, well at least impregnable, while wearing Oves so it was sobering – though not totally unexpected - to have it proven that If I forget to empty, clean and then reinsert my Oves before a dive during my fertile days then even on a shallow dive I would be setting myself up for trouble. Fortunately for me the dehydration effect of diving plays an important role in limiting the production of FCM so that the effectiveness of diving Oves is not compromised when the dome is emptied immediately before a dive. The Oves cap provides no thrust buffering.

Conclusions: My experiments in the hyperbaric chamber show that a cervical cap with spermicide and fertile cervical mucus in the dome when worn for dive-sex will displace anywhere from a depth of 15 to 30 feet. The domes of FemCap and Prentif have a crush depth of about 30 feet at which point even when worn dry (w/o spermicide) they become extremely uncomfortable to wear and in my case would cause me to break off a dive to return to shallower water or the surface. FemCap shouldn’t be worn w/o spermicide so I think it shouldn’t be worn for dive-sex except at depths of less than 15 feet. A Prentif with an excellent fit can be effectively worn w/o spermicide so could probably be worn for a sexual encounter down to its crush depth where it becomes extremely uncomfortable at about 30 feet. Oves, emptied before a dive, can be worn to any depth because the dome is already collapsed and clinging to the cervix so there are no voids to create squeeze.

Porn and the Prentif cap

A pair of 22mm (ID) latex Prentif cavity rim cervical caps

A rubberist’s delight: One of my fave stallions is a well endowed rubberist who delights in being able to thrust into my cervix, even when he penetrates me from behind. What really lights his fuse though is if I wear a Prentif cap sucking on my cervix so he can thrust into the soft latex dome. I wear a 25mm Prentif so the top of the dome dimples, collapses a bit, under vacuum, so that if he hits the dimple he knows he is right on target and thrusting into the soft stretchy latex and him ‘double tapping’ the dome and then the tip of my cervix under it gets him off very quickly.

The Prentif and the porn industry: Our clinic is one of the very few that still fits Prentif caps. That’s because Lamberts (Dalston) Ltd stopped making them at least four years ago and our clinic having a large Prentif user base bought up all the Prentif stock they could, much of it at a deep discount. Recently porn producers have discovered cervical barriers as a “new” fetish to be exploited. Since very few men younger that 60 have heard of diaphragms or cervical caps a Prentif used as protection by a porn actress in a video has become a ‘HOT’ retro scene guaranteed to increase demand for any vid in which one is used. Any producer who has his actress take fifteen minutes to languidly insert her Prentif as foreplay while her boyfriend/client is watching or has it pulled out by her attacker during her rape or has her lover eat her cervical mucus out of the dome is guaranteed a best seller.

Then too here is the ‘Geezer factor’ in niche-market porn especially in Europe where the Prentif was far more popular in the 50s than diaphragms and I’m told by the marketers that men of a certain age and style remember it fondly even though they now need performance enhancing meds to participate. Another advantage of a cap or diaphragm being used in porn is that unlike birth control hormones it is a physical object that can be inserted during a tender moment for protection or roughly pulled from the heroine or victim’s vagina during a rape and shoved into her mouth to emphasize the danger she is in. And for those into asphyxia a Prentif can be shoved down the woman’s throat as a very dangerous form of breath play because she can easily suffocate while her attacker is concentrating on planting his seed in her belly. With the increased interest in cervical barriers for use in porn – a lot of the resurgence has been because of the ‘Mad Men’ effect of retro TV shows that got the country longing for what seems a simpler time – our clinic is seeing a substantial increase in requests to fit Prentif caps.

Porn and poor cervical barrier technique: Porn actresses don’t rely on the effectiveness of a diaphragm or cap for contraceptive protection. Many of them have been sterilized or have had IUDs inserted so that an unplanned pregnancy from on-cam intercourse is very unlikely. That makes it far less important that most porn actresses be correctly fitted with a barrier that will remain securely in place through multiple acts of intercourse and for at least six hours afterward. All they need is one that won’t give them a UTI and won’t fall out while they are on-cam. Nor do they need to adhere to correct barrier insertion technique during a video production and that can leave the men and women watching the video with the wrong impression as to how to properly protect a woman using a cervical barrier.

The problem comes from the way the porn actresses are playing with their barriers and appear to become aroused long before insertion. As returning readers know a woman needs to insert her cervical barrier BEFORE she becomes aroused! That’s because during arousal the vagina lengthens (tents) as the uterus and thus the cervix is drawn up and out of the way of a thrusting penis. A vagina that is fully tented can make it very difficult or impossible to place a cervical barrier correctly over the cervix and therefore makes an unplanned pregnancy far more likely.

I’ve tried talking to several of the major producers of cervical barrier porn and they just laugh and say they are interested in getting their audience as hot as fast as possible and a porn-princess moaning and rubbing her barrier over her engorged labia wet with natural lube while she moans and writhes in ecstasy as she plays with herself is a critical part of the production and there won’t be any changes to correctly depict proper insertion technique. I suspected that was the answer I was going to get, but it was worth a try. It does make it more difficult to get vanilla women wanting to portray Magna Cum Loudly or other porn princesses to use their barriers correctly if they will need them for contraception and not just as a sex toy.

I’m trying to steer the porn actresses and their costumers toward diaphragms or FemCap and away from Prentif because the porn industry is not interested in contraception and as I mentioned above Prentif is now a device in short supply and the remaining caps should be used for women who intend to use them correctly for contraception and as gas-guards for upper reproductive tract protection during dive-sex.

Christmas break barrier fittings: At St Lucy’s it’s the end of Fall semester and we are finishing the fit checks – and replacements where necessary - of the cervical barriers the students wear before they go home or travel on Christmas break. While many of the upper form students were sexually active before arriving at St Lucy’s none had enough experience to have caused their vagina’s to stretch appreciably. While they have grown in the months they have been immersed in a strict ballet and pelvic training regimen the pelvic floor muscles have toned considerably making the vagina deeper and tighter. Fit checks are important before the increased use of cervical protection while away from the school’s sexual health support system. It’s also time for an ultrasound to verify the proper placement of students IUDs and for full STI panels to make certain the students are all healthy before sending them back to their families

The students in my Advanced Sexual Techniques class use their barriers as gas-guards for dive-sex while others on hormones use them for flow control for vanilla sex during their pill-periods or if they have a stringless IUD inserted. Stringless GyneFix IUD implants have become much more popular this year because they allow GyneFix users to safely wear a diaphragm or FemCap as a gas-guard during dive-sex. For anyone wondering the smallest Prentif, with an inner diameter of 22 mm, is too large for most teens to wear but they can wear a 22 mm FemCap because the FemCap seals against the walls of the vagina and not the cervix. So Prentif caps are left for the use of experienced adult women.

UNLV’s Fall semester also ends on December 17th and many of the sorority girls I know have had our clinic check the fit of their diaphragms and will be leaving mid week rather than on that Saturday so there has been a surge in barrier fit checks and some requests for STI panels for them as well. The students come to us to avoid having these items show up on their UNLV Student Health statements that are sent to their parents.

Checking Slit-kits: Before traveling for the holidays is also the time to check and restock everyone’s skit kits to ensure condoms, spermicide, antibiotics and emergency contraception pills are all fully stocked and in-date. There are two effective EC specific pills:

Plan B One-Step (a single pill containing 1.5 mg of the progestin levonorgestrel) which is effective for up to 72 hours, three days, after unprotected sex or a contraceptive failure. Plan Bs effectiveness decreases the longer after the event it’s taken so it should be taken as soon after the event of concern as possible. Women on oral contraceptives may continue taking them on their normal schedule after taking Plan B. In the U.S Plan B is available to women 17 years of age or older behind the counter w/o a prescription.

The second and newer pill is available in the U.S. as ella and in Europe as ellaOne (a single pill containing 30 mg of ulipristal acetate, a progesterone receptor modulator) which is effective for up to five days after the event of concern. Women on hormonal contraceptives should not rely on the effectiveness of their pills, but use a reliable barrier method of contraception after using ella, for any subsequent acts of intercourse that occur in that same menstrual cycle.

For EC our clinic now recommends ella, because of its longer effectiveness interval and at St Lucy’s its cost is covered by the student’s Student Health policy.

Heretical sects & texts

The narthex of the temple in which lies the Chalice

The Holy Grail: J “Quest for the holy grail. Is that the orgasm or coitus? I would argue for the fetish sensibility it is the orgasm and coitus is only one means to achieve it. Admittedly for the male and probably the females out there 99.999% of orgasms are associated with some sort of physical contact with the erogenous zones. The basic ones are well understood, the vagina, clitoris, G spot, glans, shaft testes, nipples, prostate and so forth. Some have sensitive ears, necks, lips, feet and even their hair can evoke and erotic response. This is not what is at the core of fetish even though we see fetish as manifested in "gear" which exists in the physical world. A fetish ONLY has erotic power to those who "believe in it" or who imbue those "things" with sexual power. Put a rubber suit on a non fetishists and they might say it feels fine, or tight or too tight, or smelly or too slippery… or too something for them to be comfortable. And if they DO not find it uncomfortable they STILL might not find it arouses them sexually. Some might find it does and they would be candidates for becoming a fetishist... someone who finds inanimate things sexually arousing. Of course we all know that the arousal phase is the beginning of the human sexual response. It's the part of the sexual response which gives us an increasing itch to reach the goal post - orgasm. For many "traditionalists" the orgasm is closely linked with cock in pussy fucking and we all know there are scores of "positions" to have cock in pussy sex. Some need that sort of variety and some claim and rightfully so, some position offer better and different experiences and orgasms. But everyone seems to think that there are better and bigger and longer lasting and deeper orgasms and it’s a matter of skill which can tease them out. And a corollary is that there is no limit and more, better, longer, deeper and multiple is out there to conquer.”

The Chalice as an object of desire: “Quest for the holy grail. Is that the orgasm or coitus?” Actually, I had included some apocryphal (and heretical) Christian beliefs in that that thought… hoping you might eventually go there.

After survival, nature’s most powerful drive is the need to reproduce. That biological imperative gives women the ability to cloud men’s minds with lust, mesmerizing the male in more advanced societies into clothing her in exotic materials and bindings in an effort to have his way with her sometimes by bizarre means. Sampling for himself the delights found in the depths of her body he enters the kingdom of heaven on earth to plant his seed at the base of the Holy Grail itself, her uterus, from which all human life springs.

It is understandable that for some early Christians desperate to increase their numbers the uterus was seen as the Holy Grail – from which all life springs - and worship of the female is not a new concept. However, worship of a female God or Goddess was suppressed by the Romans bringing organization to the early Christian church by standardizing its teachings to reflect the views of a male dominated society, probably during or around the time of the First Council of Nicaea a council of Christian bishops convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in A.D. 325. The Council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. Its main accomplishments were settlement of the issue of the relationship of Jesus to God the Father; the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed; settling the calculation of the date of Easter; and promulgation of early canon law. In the process early Gospels chronicling worship of the Virgin Mary and glorifying her womb were discarded. Texts of early variant teachings and sects believing in them were suppressed and branded as heretical.

The Idea of the Chalice or Holy Grail (the cup from which Jesus and the apostles drank during the Last Supper) as representing the uterus was most recently brought to the attention of the general public when the concept was used as the basis for The Da Vinci Code the 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It is the male's biologically driven fascination with women’s reproductive anatomy that has fueled violence and bloodshed since mankind crawled out of the slime and women began seducing men for mates.

Getting mine: J “Sex as a selfish act (which it demonstrably is) involves getting "yours" the way you like it... so to speak. And when there's a partner involved it may be getting THEM to giving you "yours" the way you like it. There are a few strategies here. One is simply to demand it and say... here you play this fiddle called my sexual response. Your role is to learn what I teach and follow the script with finesse. Your reward can be I can do you at another time, or maybe at the same time, or you can learn to "get off" on playing me my way. Wouldn't that be dandy! Another is the quid pro quo where the provider is paid or obligated to perform to spec... the hooker, escort, pro Domme and so forth. You can also "train" or manipulate the partner to do your bidding by positive and negative reinforcements - training. People and animals are easy to train this way. Yet there are times when the partners interactions naturally leads to them each giving and getting exactly what floats their own boats. It doesn't get any better than that. Jane like John to ram her hard in rough almost brutal sex and John gets off on the idea of brutally taking a female! This can apply to any aspect of fetish play... and is what lovers seek in their partners - compatibility. Sure you can wear a rubber suit to please my eye... but I am looking for the women who is turned on by wearing the rubber suit - then she's really sexy to me... the rubberist male might say. But I digress”

“The Holy Grail is not the vagina but the tactile experience of the vagina on a penis for a male and the feeling of the thrusting penis inside her vagina for a female. This is so because vaginas and penises are where the physical sensations which offer up orgasms come from. Some men can get off and prefer an anal cavity. Some a rubber cavity of a sex doll. Some women prefer or are fine with a glass or rubber dildo or even a cucumber to fill their vaginas. Fetish sex is about the toys as substitute for the "real thing". But fetish sex, like vanilla sex is about getting off, but with more emphasis on the arousal phase... lots more. It makes the arousal phase include all sorts of gear and clothing... the mental constructs to eroticize them.”

Suppressed Symbolism: I agree that the vagina is not the Holy Grail. But as I mentioned above I think “the tactile experience of the vagina on a penis for a male and the feeling of the thrusting penis inside her vagina for a female” is not the Holy Grail either. I believe the Apostles drinking from the cup during the Last Supper, pledging they would continue his teachings when Jesus had gone was seen by some early Christians (who worshiped Mary as a deity) to be analogous to or symbolic of sexual intercourse with the transfer of semen (as the blood) which actually fills the Chalice or Holy Grail – the uterus – to continue the faith and mankind. This view of communion in the Catholic Church as celebrating sexual intercourse has been suppressed for nearly 2,000 years, but for believers traces of it can still be seen in the ritual of the Mass, performed by celibate priests.

The genitals as a fetish: J “I suppose some people have a genital fetish and literally eroticize the facsimiles of genitals. This I suppose is manifest in silicone breast augmentation, but surgical and applied on top of one's own breasts, or rubber vulvas and vaginas which can be worn as garments, some with sheathed cavities to penetrate... mostly used by CDs I suppose. But it's conceivable that a female could have a fetish of being fucked with a fake pussy she wears. And the same might apply to a male who sports a fake cock over his own. And there certainly could be females who desire large rubber cocks more so than the real deal. However these sorts of appliances are more about the actual fucking than the arousal the way most fetishes operate. Fetish is mostly about getting there as opposed to being there and so the Holy Grail is really about the QUEST for it than FOR it. What do I know?”

Cervical barriers as a fetish: I don’t know any women who have a genital fetish, but I know some CD/TVs who do. I’ve written about some few rubberists both male and female who are into ‘vaginal rubber’, an oft overlooked area for the female rubberist, and the different pleasures that can be derived from its use. As returning readers know I wear a cervical barrier to protect my upper reproductive tract. I’m CD24 today and have an Oves cervical cap sucking on my cervix as a gas-guard for dive-sex and as a contraceptive barrier although I’m in my Luteal phase with my menses starting next Friday so I’ve ovulated this cycle and as far as contraception is concerned I could go w/o protection and still be safe. For me contraceptive diaphragms and cervical caps are a huge turn-on. I love the added confidence that I get when I have a physical barrier protecting my cervix even though it may be a tiny bit of .2mm thick transparent silicone rubber.

Ever since I was in my early 20s and got my first latex Prentif cavity rim cervical cap I’ve been in love with cervical barriers for contraception. I was on the pill and hated what the progestin did to me, killing my libido and drying me out so that even on the rare instances when I wanted sex I could never get comfortable regardless of which or how much lube I used. Today less than one percent of U.S women use a cervical barrier and most doctors aren’t taught how to fit them anymore. Women’s doctors are in the pocket of Big Pharma and pushing hormones these days saying cervical barriers aren’t nearly as effective. But for a motivated woman who follows all the rules all the time and who has a properly fitted diaphragm that is correctly inserted the device is more than 96% effective which is as good as the protection most women get from their pills because they aren’t compliant in taking them.