‘t’aint your pussy and ‘tain’t your asshole.’

That’s how the expression ‘taint’ arose, to describe the fleshy, nerve-rich expanse that separates the genitals from the anus. Doctors and medical practitioners generally use the more scientific description ‘perineum.’

There are actually many colloquial names for this particular part of the human body – my personal favorite being ‘chinrest’ – as that’s where your chin’s supposed to nestle when you’re giving somebody cunnilingus.

But ‘taint’ seems the most popular and longest established – possibly because the alternative meanings of the word ‘taint’ tie in with the ‘taboo’ aspect of sexualizing this part of the human body. Merriam-Webster defines ‘taint’ as a verb meaning ‘to contaminate morally’ or ‘affect with putrefaction’ – and some people feel the same way about venturing into the ‘taint’s unknown territory.

Given the immediate proximity to the anus, it’s no surprise that the ‘taint’ is often considered ‘dirty’ and off-limits to sexual conservatives – especially men who are afraid of catching ‘the gay’ by receiving pleasure from a part of their body that’s so close to their asshole.

But those who overlook the ‘taint’ are missing out – especially men. Because of the vagaries of human anatomy, it’s a part of the human body that’s especially sensitive in the male of the species. The masculine ‘taint’ is generally twice as long as a woman’s – and the proximity to the prostate (within the pelvis) make stimulation of it especially intense. In 1967, Alfred Kinsey confirmed that the perineum was one of the six key male erogenous zones.

Pressing a vibrator against a man’s ‘taint’ can strengthen and firm an erection, while some students of Tantra and the Kama Sutra believe that massaging a man’s perineum just before the point of climax can delay orgasm, or even allow a man to experience multiple orgasms.

One Maxim journalist wrote an article about how he used perennial massage as a form of birth control, because it prevented ejaculation during orgasm. This reporter is now the proud father of a two-year-old girl.

Both men and women can get a thrill from having their perineum licked or kissed. The plump nerve endings make a quick slurp feel utterly delicious –perhaps even more so because licking the ‘taint’ is considered so ‘naughty’ and ‘dirty.’

And finally, for those who are reluctant to explore anal stimulation, playing with the ‘taint’ is a good compromise. Discovering just how pleasurable that part of the body can be might warm a reluctant partner up to the idea of fingers, lips, toys or tongues eventually migrating a little further south.

In short; students of sexuality have long realized that the pleasurable potential of the perineum t’ain’t to be underestimated.