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ORIGINAL: ADomDoc

Hi bearlee,
Since you requested that I comment on this topic, I'll mention a few points to consider.

Using urethral sounds is not inherently bad IF the sounds are sterile (NOT just cleaned with germicidal solutions).  They have a valid use to remove urethral strictures caused by infection &/or trauma & can be temporarily helpful in dealing with prostatic hypertrophy.  In these uses, sounds are utilized to re-establish a diameter of the urethra that is functional in draining urine.  Any larger diameter has no physiological advantage.

Urethral sounds (all that I am acquainted with) are metalic, ergo make an excellent method of electrical stimulation to the male prostate ... for electrical play (using EMS).  Of course, this provides only 1 of the 2 necessary electrodes ... the 2nd electrode must present an approximately equal surface area -- slightly skewing the relative sizes allows the stimulation to be felt more on the smaller electrode.  AND AGAIN, even in electrical play, urethral sounds MUST be sterile and inserted using sterile technique.  This means the person doing the procedure MUST be educated in the proper application of STERILE technique ... and must KNOW the difference between Clean Technique vs Sterile Technique.

Urethral anatomy is significantly different between males & females ... most obviously in the length of the urethra.  Because of this alone, women are prone to more frequent urinary tract infections than men; the male urethra provides more length to fight off intruding bacteria.

Excessive dilatation of the urethra has the inherent potential of  stretching the 2 sphincter muscles beyond their elastic limit.  A single such insult will probably heal, but repetitive trauma of this nature will invariably lead to chronic urinary incontinence.  We'll all be wearing Depends soon enough ... do you really wanna rush it?

The stop-gap solution for urinary incontinence of this nature would be a catheter, which  invariably becomes host to a bacterial film which will eventually colonize the urinary tract AND are resistant to antibiotics (according to recent research on bacterial films).

Ok ... next point is insertion of inordinantly large things into the urethra.  While a small percentage of males get into this, they still have the advantage of a longer urethra to fight off intrusive bacteria.  This does NOT protect males from a finger inserted all the way to the bladder, but it remains a somewhat functional protection if the dilatation does not go past the shaft of the penis.  Extreme dilation of the female urethra, such as with a finger or penis is stupid, stupid, stupid.  1) Urinary incontinence is almost inevitable, 2) bare skin inserted into the bladder conveys myriads of bacteria & guarantees bacterial colonization and probably a UTI. 

I will qualify the last statement somewhat: Electrical stimulation of the sphincter muscles MIGHT rehabilitate them to be functional even after stretching.  This might be more functional IF done for the entire prolonged duration of the dilatation "training."  Id est, it is less likely to be successful if one waits til the urethra is stretched large enough to accept a penis ... but if one starts using electrical stimulation to strengthen the sphincters (both of them) after each successively larger dilatation, then one MIGHT be able to grow & strengthen the sphincters at the same time.  This ONLY addresses the point of incontinence ... NOT the risk of infection related to this activity.

Since MRSA, VRE & other antibiotic resistant bacteria are now "wild" in the general population, and VRSA isn't far behind ... these could be on the skin that gets inserted ... the chances of curing a bacterial infection with antibiotics is becoming more difficult, and might be impossible (people DO die of toxic shock on a daily basis).  And, let's not forget, they'll bill you for 1or 2 weeks of your salary for every day you spend in the hospital!  (You say that you've wrapped it?  Well folks, those latex gloves & condoms have pinhole leaks that are like barndoors for bacteria.  Don't bet your life on 'em.  (Besides, more & more folks are becoming allergic to latex.)

You may enjoy things in your urethra, and maybe even being tied down.  We can accommodate both desires in the hospital.  But, you may also be swollen up like West Texas roadkill in the noonday sun, in extreme pain, on a ventilator ... and we'll be talking to your relatives about a "Do No Resuscitate" order.  AND, if you enjoy being helplessly tortured, our default is to keep you alive at all costs & no matter how much it hurts you ... which means we can drag out your painful death for weeks, sometimes months. 

Finally, even using sterile techniques with sounds & Foleys, bacteria of some sort are ALWAYS shoved into the bladder ... you cannot sterilize the distal urethra.  After any & all urethral procedures, you should always assume that bacteria have been shoved into the bladder & make them unwelcome.  Bacteria that thrive in the urinary tract are those which like the pH of the environment ... so a simple prevention is to drink large volumes of fluids especially those which promote a more acidic environment, most notably cranberry juice.  I'm not talking about a glass of cranberry juice ... I'm talking about at least a gallon a day. This both changes the environment to a hostile pH AND provides a flow of urine making germs in the urinary tract feel like you trying to swim upstream in the Colorado River during the spring thaw.

The best way I know of "forcing fluids" is to fill a LARGE coffee cup with cranberry juice & chug it down.  Refill the cup & sip on it frequently til it's gone.  Immediately refill the cup & chug it down.  Then refill it & sip til it's gone ... etc.  In between, you can be drinking water.  If you are doing it right, you'll be peeing at least every 30 minutes.  Do NOT drink citrus juices, they make your urine more alkaline.  Vitamin C will also acidify your urine and can be taken in large quantities IF you drink lots of fluids.  If you drink only moderate amounts of fluids, large doses of Vitamin C will cause kidney stones.  Niacin will also acidify the urine very slightly.

Colloidal silver is helpful in some infections BUT research has shown that bacteria are getting used to colloidal silver just like they got used to antibiotics.  Taking small daily doses of colloidal silver only helps the germs get used to it in their diet.  Taking large daily prophylactic doses of colloidal silver will give you argyrosis (argyria).  So colloidal silver should only be taken in response to an infection, in large enough doses & enough duration to kill the infection (7-10 or maybe even 14 days), and then stopped.

Ok ... I may have missed some important aspect of this topic ... but I had my whack at it.  Hope it's helpful & some will pay attention to it.  I'm all for kinky play, but within limits that are safe & healthy for the sub/slave as well as the Dom/me.  I can inflict pain on a maso sub for hours ... but when I'm done, she won't be looking for a kidney transplant.  I'll add ... a sub/slave who is playing at this level better make sure that the Dom/me can define clean technique, sterile technique AND can demonstrate that s/he actually practices it.