We all have a duty of care to ourselves and the people we play with. The following notes are a brief introduction to the kinds of medical problems you can expect to encounter in play.

They should, hopefully, act as a reminder to us all to take a First Aid course or to top up our classes. They are in no way a substitute for a course.

1. B. a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. The following info is unlikely to assist in an emergency.

The most important thing to remember if faced with a serious problem is to get professional help as quickly as possible, whether that be calling a First Aider, visiting a doctor, attending A+E with the casualty or calling 999.

I can fully understand that many people may be worried about doing this, if the injury is BDSM related, but most hospitals have seen it all, and far better to suffer a short embarrassment than risk serious injury.

Do not try and administer first aid alone. If there are other people present, Get Help!

All parties who are engaging in all types of BDSM play, should be made aware of any medical factors – this includes drink and drugs- that effect any members of the group.

If you have any reason for suspecting you may become unwell, or have any medical condition, which might affect play. You have a responsibility to yourself and others to make this fact aware.

If you withhold this for fear of someone refusing play, you can guarantee that you will lose all chance of any further encounters should they find out afterwards. This is especially relevant in Edge play.

Furthermore, it is worth asking if you want to be engaging in any sort of play with someone you do not know well or is not prepared to have a discussion in advance of play.

Please remember that Drugs (whether prescribed or not) Alcohol, heat, cold, flashing lights, medical conditions etc can all contribute to your reactions within scenes.

Sadly a majority of the First Aid I have to administer at clubs has been the result of alcohol and drugs.

Below are a few links to helpful sights, which are worth reading for a more extensive guide

http://www.allrefer.com/

http://www.suslik.org/FirstAid/index.html

I have also quoted from a lot of wonderful sites I have found which deal with all forms of edge play and safety. Some of these are not BDSM related sites, but offer great advice when dealing with various aspects that you would encounter when playing.

Your Basic First Aid kit:

I can understand the thought of taking a first aid kit into a club would seem peculiar to many people and would conjure up the picture of loads of people wandering around with little green boxes full of bandage. However, there is no reason why everyone should not put together a few small items, which they can carry in kit bag. This is especially so if you are likely to be engaging in any type of edge play.

Latex Gloves: Ideal for dealing with any types of bleeds, bodily fluids etc, and may be considerably quicker than going off to wash your hands.

Antiseptic wipes: does exactly what it says on the packet, either for cleaning the body or equipment. I’m often asked for these by people new to needle play that forget that victims bleed if you poke them with sharp objects.

Plasters: I’m always giving these out at clubs to people, therefore must be a requirement.

Bottle of water: Cleaning, Cooling, Rehydration-

Barley sugar or energy sweets: Great for putting sugar back into the body, especially when coming down from subspace.

Condoms: Need I say more? Another thing I’m asked for a lot.