Pierced ears have long been a fashion accessory. By some estimates, more than 85% of women have them. For thousands of years, cultures around the world have practiced piercing other body parts, too.

I’m a mostly straight cis woman in my mid-20s who’s had a pretty high number of sexual partners, and I have never orgasmed with any of them. Not from oral, fingering, or PIV. But when I’m by myself, I ...