How old were you when you got your first hickey, or when you first learned about the scandalous “love bite”? Though hickeys were sort of a thing of pride during our teenage years, as if it was a mark of adulthood, it’s become more of an embarrassing bruise rather than a fun one. I mean, you probably wouldn’t want people from the office seeing traces of you getting d*cked down last night. But how much do you really know about hickeys? Here are 7 hickey facts that you should know about:
They can transmit oral herpes
Here’s a real bummer: Oral herpes is easily transmissible, you don’t even need mouth-to-mouth contact to pass it on. “If your partner has oral herpes, they can pass the virus on through a hickey,” Dr. Diana Gall, M.D., told Bustle. So if your partner has an active cold sore, remember that oral herpes can become active in places other than the mouth, like the neck or face.
They can cause a stroke
Though hickeys rarely cause fatal injuries, there have been a few cases where they have resulted in serious consequences. A woman in New Zealand suffered a stroke as a result of a hickey in 2011. Apparently, the hickey was above a major artery, causing a blood clot in her neck, which led to the stroke and paralysis of her left arm. In another case, a 17-year-old in Mexico died from a stroke caused by a hickey, because the hickey caused a blood clot that travelled to the brain and caused seizures.
People with iron deficiency can get love bites easily
If you’re getting hickeys immediately after some action, you might have iron deficiency. It might also take longer for them to fade. Hence, the healing speed of your hickey depends on your overall health – so stay hydrated and avoid junk food, girlie!
Animals do it too
Did you know that male animals often give their mates hickeys? In fact, they were the ones that first started doing it! Dr. Havelock Ellis discovered in the 1800s that male mammals would frequently hold female mammals’ necks between their teeth, nibbling on them before mating. It represents male dominance and female submission. Today, it’s better known as a form of sexual expression that can be performed by any gender!
They are discussed in the Kama Sutra
In the ancient Indian texts on sexuality (Chapter 5), hickeys are referred to as “coral and the jewel.” The Kama Sutra gives a detailed account of the different placements of love bites, and explains the combinations of preferences that differed from one region to another. It even encourages women to leave bite and nail marks on their lovers, and gives suggestions on how to do these, as well as where to do them!
They can last forever
Yes, ladies – love bites can potentially leave a permanent scar on your body, especially when they involve too much teeth! So tell your partner to go easy on you when you’re getting one. Just imagine explaining that scar over and over again to different people your whole life!
Dreaming about hickeys doesn’t mean that you’re horny
Unlike wet dreams, dreaming about getting a hickey isn’t always sexual. It actually symbolizes a battle between the head and the heart, or rather, between emotional and rational thinking. You may be torn between logic and emotions when faced with a major decision. It may also indicate that you are physically or emotionally exhausted as a result of a toxic relationship or a stressful decision.
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