What is Edging?

There are many different terms used in sex to describe many different wonderful things – edging is one that can either lead to a knowing smile or an expression of complete confusion when mentioned. Whether you’re an edging expert or you’re looking for ways to improve your sex life, both solo and with a partner, this guide will give you plenty of tips to show you how it’s done and what the benefits are.

How Does Edging Work?

Edging is the practice of getting yourself right to the edge (hence the term ‘edging’) of orgasm right before stopping and waiting until the excitement has died down a bit, before repeating this process several times… or until you just can’t handle it anymore.

Edging can be performed alone or with your partner – although you might find it easier to practice on your own first. If your partner doesn’t get the message that you’re close to finishing, it could all be over before it began!

Why Try Edging?

There are loads of reasons why people try edging. For some, it can simply be a great way to extend and intensify their experience. For example, instead of things being over in five minutes, you can enjoy a much longer session… after all, you can’t have too much of a good thing, right?

On top of this, some believe that edging leads to a much more intense orgasm when you finally do climax, with all that pent up tension being released.

One common use for edging is as a way to ‘train’ the body to last longer during sex. At Ann Summers, we’re all about exploring your body and really understanding how it works, and edging can be a great way for you to understand how your body reacts to speed, intensity and other factors, helping you hold off a little longer during sex.

There are many reasons for wanting to try edging, sometimes it’s just down to curiosity!

Edging Mythbusting

Just like everything in sex, there are a lot of rumours about edging and its effects on the body. As always, we’d say you need to be careful and only do things that you’re comfortable with when you’re experimenting sexually. However, we thought we’d break down a few of those common edging myths.

Is Edging Bad for You?

Surely something that stops you feeling pleasure can’t be good, right? Wrong! There are many benefits to edging and very few possible side effects. Some men could experience epididymal hypertension, sometimes known as ‘blue balls’, from arousal that doesn’t result in orgasm, but this is rare.

Does Edging Affect Sperm Count?

The actual practice of edging doesn’t affect sperm count any more or less than regular masturbation. Masturbating more frequently is likely to lower your sperm count, so edging with no orgasm at the end would make no difference. If you do have concerns about sperm count, you’re best speaking to your GP or a health professional.

Does Edging Help You Last Longer?

The original idea of ‘stop-start’ masturbation was to help men last longer in bed, helping them get used to coming close to orgasm then letting the pleasure recede, before starting again. Some experts believe that it can be a great way to help you get used to the way your body feels and give you a little more feeling of control over it, so when you are having sex you might feel less anxious about your performance.

Does Edging Help Erectile Dysfunction?

Edging doesn’t make any difference when it comes to erectile dysfunction. It also can’t harm it either, so if you’re experiencing anxiety about not lasting long in bed and that’s affecting your ability to get erect then it could help.

Just like most things when it comes to sex, edging is a fun and pleasurable (in the end!) way to explore your body and learn new things, and this is, of course, only going to be positive for your sex life. Just remember – be patient, no rushing, and it’ll all be worth it!