Edge play

Edge play is generally considered to be any physical or psychological activity where risks are taken and the limits of safety are approached or even reached.

People engage in edge play for many reasons. It could be as a personal test of endurance as in the case of extended impact play (i.e., flogging, caning or whipping). It could also be a way of getting a more intense experience such as through strong pain play, humiliation or mind fucks.

The risks involved can include:

• Physical harm - broken bones, torn ligaments, concussion, soft-tissue damage, etc., from heavy impacts or from being dropped,
• Psychological harm - distress, trauma, terror, neurosis and psychosis in response to intense humiliation, role play, play rape, etc.
• Medical problems - suffocation (from breath play), various infections (hepatitis, HIV, etc., through broken skin and/or sharing of bodily fluids), burns (from fire play or temperature play), coma (from ice play enemas), loss of blood (from cutting), etc.

Much of BDSM can be done with little or no risk, however some people seek the risk because it adds to the penetration they experience. The more risk, the greater the thrill.