There’s no denying sex can be made even spicier when there’s an element of danger. For some it means playing more than just an innocent game of footsie beneath the table of a posh restaurant. For others it’s all about joining the mile high club or trying to work their way through every position of the Kama Sutra. But a recent study published in Brazil suggests the riskiest kind of sex of all could be as simple as letting you female partner take the lead.

RIDE ‘EM COWGIRL

The Cowgirl Position is popular for a number of reasons. First, letting your woman take control gives men the chance to lie back and enjoy the view. For women, the position allows them to grind down against their partner while bouncing up at down the length of his penis as well. This versatility in movement allows for greater stimulation of her clitoris and, depending on her angle, can even more effectively stimulate her G-Spot. It’s a position commonly shown in movies, videos and even commercials and is generally considered the second most popular position, bested only by the traditional missionary position.

So the news coming out of Brazil recently hasn’t exactly gone over well with plenty of couples. The study, which was published in the journal Advances of Urology, followed the cases of men who had been admitted to the hospital for what they believed to be a penile fracture. In fully half the cases, the men reported hearing an audible cracking noise before a feeling of immense pain.

Of the men the study followed, heterosexual sex was the most common activity, representing 66% of the respondents. The remaining activities included penile manipulation (14%), homosexual sex (9%) while another 9% of responds preferred not to answer questions about what had been happening before the fracture. For men engaged in heterosexual sex, they were asked which position they had been using when the fracture occurred. The results were surprising. Both doggy style and the missionary position with the man n top were mentioned but neither came close the woman on top position which represented a full 50% of respondents.

WHY SO DANGEROUS?

Of course, women on top during sex is hardly anything new or exotic. So why this increase in the danger of penile fracture when they are on top? The explanation is simple, according to most experts. When a woman is on top, there’s a higher chance of her moving slightly off target as she slides up, then down along the shaft of a man’s penis. More importantly, she would only experience minor discomfort if the trajectory was off while a man would feel much more intense pain – and more quickly. Plus, there’s the factor of simply physics – in the heat of the moment it’s easy for things to go off course and when sex gets intense, thrusting just a millimetre off target could result in slamming against a public bone.

While the study has many men shifting uncomfortably over their morning coffee, the risks still remain fairly low on a grand scale. The Brazilian study freely admits their same size was small, consisting of less than 50 cases. But the condition is also woefully under-reported since many men feel a sense of embarrassment over it which prevents them from seeking help timely. The researchers behind this study hope publicizing their findings will make more men aware of the condition and encourage them to seek medical attention more quickly. It could also help to educate partners about the importance of sexual safety.

Overall, men have little to worry about if they are fans of the woman on top position. But this study does highlight the potential for trouble which should also be kept in mind. Penile fractures can be easily treated with prompt medical attention but leaving them to heal on their own in order to protect a man’s pride could lead to a build-up of scar tissue which can affect a man’s sexual performance and satisfaction. So if you find yourself in the position of sustaining a sex-related injury, don’t avoid treatment out of embarrassment. Instead seek it out immediately and be proud – you officially have an active and interesting sex life!