Medical play refers to the oh-so-common sexy play scenario in which kinksters take on the persona of medical professionals and/or their patients. This can often involve some kind of dom/sub role play as well - for example, the dom would take on the role of a doctor while treating their sub as the patient.
However, for many people, medical play is a lot more than that. Indulging in medical play is about creating a complete sexual experience and engaging in very specific BDSM fantasies that revolve around doctors, nurses, medical activities and sometimes even a bit of pain.
Before we dive into what medical play really is (and give you some ideas on how to set up a steamy scene for yourself), let’s talk about why this is such an iconic staple of kink.
“Does someone need a physical?” said every woman who slipped into that short, tight Halloween costume nurse uniform, knowing it would drive the man in her life wild.
This is an extremely common fantasy for men, so naturally, this is a good starting point when we talk about why medical play is so iconic.
In fact, according to this article on Great Love, the “nurse” is the number one female profession that men fantasize about the most, followed up by “teacher” in second, and “tutor” in third place - all of which totally makes sense to me.
Why do men find the nurse role play so erotic? Well, it’s a bit more complex than you think.
If we wanted to look really far back (to see just how engrained this admiration of nurses goes), we could trace it back to the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s...no - I’m not kidding.
In those days, women were expected to tend to their families...not many women worked outside the home. The women who did work outside the home were often given pretty dead-end work - and in those days, nursing was considered to be pretty low on the list with the chance of infection high and particularly bad working conditions in hospitals.
Apparently, the only job “beneath” nursing was prostitution.
Given this reality, it’s not shocking to learn that women who were prostitutes at some point in their lives were able to eventually transition to “the next best job”, which was nursing.
In fact, according to this article on Thrillist about the history of nursing, there were even laws (such as the one in New York City at the time) where convicted prostitutes were given the option of serving jail time or partaking in a nursing job (kind of like the modern-day community service).
It wasn’t until the 1800s that this image of nursing changed. This was when Florance Nightingale (who was actually reported to have been celibate) became a nurse and made great strides in changing the way people thought of nurses, bringing a more professional vision to the job.
If you search through the plethora of “nurse porn” you can likely find with a few strokes of your keyboard, you may notice three super common scenarios that keep popping up:
While there are multiple “types” of nurses that men are typically attracted to, I think this Reddit user is onto something when he says “it’s because nurses are the epitome of nurturing behavior”.
Another user chimes in on the same thread to add: what man doesn’t want to lay in bed and be “taken care of” - and I have to admit, he’s got a point.
It’s not just men who can get really into the medical role-play - women find doctors incredibly sexy, too. I mean, that dreamy Dr. Derek Sheppard from Grey’s Anatomy that women have pined over for the better half of two decades now? His nickname is literally McDreamy.
According to The Good Men Project, “doctor” is number one on the list of careers that women find most attractive on a man.
Second place? Firefighter.
Followed by lawyer and police officer.
Getting back to our “doctor” fetish, though...just how common is a medical fetish among women? It turns out, this is a pretty common fetish for women, too.
According to Erin Marie over on Simply Sxy: “when doing any form of medical play, you get to tap into what that control and power is like when you can have that trust that humans so naturally have based on decades of conditioning.”
In other words, it’s easy to feel comfortable, secure and trusting when your partner is pretending to be a doctor because doctors are pretty trusted people in modern society.
And it’s not just doctors, either...there are many women who find gynecology sexy. I mean, sex is the last thing on my mind when my doctor is giving me a smear...but to each their own!
It’s not just trust that turns us on...it’s power.
The idea of hooking up with a doctor, fireman, police officer or lawyer is sexy because they are regarded as “positions of power” within our modern society.
Whether you’re someone who likes to be bossed around or someone who likes to take control away from those who generally have lots of control in their lives - medical play can give you a taste of something you’ve always dreamed of.
Not to mention the fact that “healing hands” are lusted after in many cases.
It’s erotic to think that someone who has the knowledge and ability to “heal” people, to cure diseases and to fix injuries is tending to your bedside at night.
Whether you have a thing for people who help other people or just get off on the idea that your dom is playing the role of an arrogant, sexy and incredibly intelligent doctor whose going to “fix you” - there is a bit of that sensual healing vibe to this kind of roleplay that drives most of us wild.
Now that we’ve figured out just why medical play is such an iconic staple in the porn and sex industries, let’s talk about how you can be part of the fun - because there are so many ways to bring medical play into your sex life.
For those of us who prefer to keep things a bit more light and playful, costumes are a great way to take your role-play to the next level. Sexy nurse costumes, doctor’s scrubs, stethoscopes...get creative with it. (There are some ideas at the bottom of this article!)
When practically anything you want can be delivered to your door within a matter of days or weeks, why not try something a bit more elaborate the next time you want to role play as Dr. Sexy and his naughty nympho patient?
There are actually many very real “medical situations” that people like to reenact in the bedroom, including things like enemas, penis plugs (used for urethra sounding) and speculum play, which is essentially when your partner plays dom doctor and uses instruments to perform an “examination” on your genitals (more on this below).
While many people like to simply pretend to be a doctor or nurse, many other couples may choose to participate in these types of medical play scenarios that actually involve doing something “medical” to your patient.
In these cases, caution should always be used and lots of research done before you get started.
Speaking of making things a bit more elaborate...everything is better when the scene is set.
Simply putting on scrubs or having your lover wear their skimpy costume around the house can be fun - but really immersing yourselves into a medical play scene can heat things up in a way you never imagined.
Needs some ideas?
Here are a few to get your creative juices flowing:
While there are many different things you can do in the name of medical play, we’re going to focus on the four big ones: giving/getting enemas, urethral sounding, examinations (gyno play or speculum play) and blood play.
When it comes to enema play, here’s what you should know…
An enema (sometimes referred to as an anal douche) is a process where you put water into the lower intestine (via the rectum). This empties the bowels.
The most conventional reason for enemas during sex is to “clean yourself out” before anal play - however, many people find the process of an enema to be part of the fun, so there are times this is a more regular part of your sexual adventures.
Enema liquid can be held inside the body for approximately 5-30 minutes. During this time, the liquid softens the stool and encourages expulsion. Disposable kits are often available in some pharmacy stores.
Why do people sexualize enemas?
Well, aside from cleaning before anal play, some people find the feeling or even the idea of an enema to be incredibly sexy, so they will often try to incorporate this into their sex lives. In order for this process to go smoothly, there needs to be a level of trust between partners and the person receiving the enema needs to feel relaxed and comfortable.
For more on enemas during sex, check out this article by XR Brands, which includes some advice on how to properly give an enema.
Urethral sounding has puzzled people for ages. Some people ask themselves: why on earth would you want that? While others ask those people: why on earth wouldn’t you want it!?
When it comes to sounding, you’re either all in or want nothing to do with it… there really isn’t much in-between.
Urethral play is the idea of dilating the urethra by inserting a plug or probe-like object (called a sound) during sexual activities to provide arousal or release.
To do this, you can use something called a penis plug, which is a short toy that you can insert into the urethra. Sometimes you can wear these for a prolonged period of time, depending on the kind of toy you get. They are typically shorter (between 1-3 inches).
A sound, on the other hand - is something different. Knowing the difference is important, so let me explain; a sound is a tool that’s used (typically in medicine) to dilate the urethra itself for medical examination. They can also be used for sexual gratification, though.
They are typically much longer than a penis plug and allow you to feel sensations penis plugs can’t. The most important thing about sounds is that they are not designed for prolonged use.
For more information on urethra play, sounding and penis plugs, check out this super insightful LoveHoney article. Healthline also has a lot of information on this topic, if you’re interested.
While there are a few different types of examinations that people incorporate into their sex lives: the most common is the overall physical. This would be your typical porn video setting where the nurse has to “check everything is working” by seeing if her patient can become aroused and hold an erection...something along those lines.
And then there is something that’s a bit more in-depth, like a gyno exam, where there may actually be a tool used similar to those that gynecologists might have.
This may include a vaginal speculum, which is the tool used by a gynecologist to give a female patient a vaginal examination. If you’ve ever had an examination, ladies - you’ll know what this is as soon as you see a picture of it.
How is this used in a sexy way? While I personally have no idea, because vaginal exams rank right up there with teeth cleanings on my list of things that make me shiver, there are many women who enjoy the use of these in a sexual way.
Obviously, if your sexual adventures include any kind of examination, consent should be given and things discussed before you even start. Setting safewords and setting the scene are all things you and your partner can do to ensure you both have a sensual, erotic time during your examination play.
If you want to take your doctor-ing to the next step and involve things like scalpels into the mix, that’s a whole other (kinky) ball game. While the erotic link between blood and sex has been judged pretty harshly by people who want nothing to do with blood in the bedroom, there really is some kind of link between the two.
You can read my in-depth blood play post, but when it comes to medical play and blood, here are a few things you should know.
Sanitization is super important. Whatever tools you’re using, please make sure they are sterilized properly before and after use.
Being safe doesn’t just mean being safe you’re having sex...getting tested for infections or diseases before the fun starts is essential if you’re participating in any kind of blood play. The sharing of blood can result in viral infections or diseases being passed between partners - before you indulge in any type of blood play in the bedroom, make sure both partners are safe and informed of the other person’s health status.
While cutting yourself or your partner is never truly 100% safe, there are “safer” places to cut on the body...here’s a guide.
All in all, if you’re interested in taking your medical play a big step further and indulging in some kind of blood play, it never hurts to do research and even speak with a kink-positive medical professional or (at the very least) other kinksters who have participated in these kinds of sexual adventures before.
When it comes to any type of fantasy play, nothing makes things more real than toys, am I right?
Let’s talk about some medical play sex toys that really heat things up.
Sexy nurse costumes come in many different styles: some of my favorites would have to be the Cotelli Collection from Bondara, this plus-size naughty nurse outfit from LoveHoney or a more typical lingerie set like this, that you can likely find at any party supply store around Halloween. You can even spice things up with a sexy surgeon outfit, ladies.
And for my doctors...a few sexy ideas for you: this (woman’s) Dr. Shots outfit or this sexy male doctor outfit would do the trick. If you want to really dress things up (or down, I should say) - check out this barely-there doctor outfit.
Whatever lingerie you choose - don’t forget the essentials like your sexy stethoscope for those naughty physicals. Also, a tip: bring a bit of attitude to whatever role you’re playing, really live it up!
Clean Stream Deluxe Silicone Enema Bulb
This hygienic and durable enema bulb set is made for efficient and comfortable enemas or anal cleansing. The bulb holds up to 300ml of liquid and the flexible tip is designed for easy insertion.
If you’re using this kind of enema system, be sure to get the proper liquid enema solution. You can also find tons of tutorials online about how to give an enema safely.
Stainless Steel Piercing Pincer (Medical Forceps)
These medical forceps (with detachable rubber) can be used as a simple nipple clamp or something a bit more intense (thinking grasping or compressing…).
The stainless steel feel gives a particularly “medical” vibe to these forceps that can be used in a variety of different medical play BDSM scenes.
Stainless Steel Vaginal Speculum
This stainless steel vaginal speculum can be used in all kinds of “examination” scenes - use your imagination to come up with a horny OBGYN that’s interested in giving his sexy female patient more than just a physical once over.
Depending on the intensity level of your games, you can adjust the screw to allow you to open her up more (or less) - whatever makes her comfortable.
Rouge Stainless Steel Pinwheel (7 Wheels)
Sensation play just got a whole lot more sensational with this 7 wheeled pinwheel that can be used in all kinds of med-play scenarios.
Typically, the pinwheel is used for sensory stimulation or teasing...with 5mm long spikes, you can test out different levels of pressure on the wheel points to see just how much your patient can feel.
Master Series Silicone Urethral Sound (Training Set)
If you’re new to urethral sounding (or just need a refresher), starting off with a training set is the way to go. Testing the limits of what your body can handle has never been sexier, and with the help of your Dr. Sexy, MD, you can really test your limits.
This set comes with 3 different options to work with, so you have plenty of room for experimentation.
From the common doctor/nurse fantasy many of us have tried on Halloween to actually participate in gyno exams or enema play...there’s a little something for everyone in the realm of medical sex play.
Maybe that’s why medical play is such an iconic staple of “kinky sex” - because there is just so much you can do with it all.
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