Featured Image Credit: HBO
Topics: Euphoria, Sydney Sweeney, HBO, Sex and Relationships
Ben Williams
Sydney Sweeney's latest Euphoria scenes have got people searching up a rather messy bedroom trend, and doctors have some important things to say about it.
If you've already caught episode two of Euphoria season three on HBO, you'll know that things have got seriously X-rated for Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie Howard.
The 28-year-old actress is well and truly leaning into her OnlyFans storyline this series, with a montage of adult content shoots that has left viewers equal parts shocked and talking.
Among the scenes is one where Cassie appears fully topless while holding a melting ice cream, letting it drip down her body; it turns out, that's actually a real bedroom trend that people are into.
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It's called sploshing, and it falls under the umbrella of sitophilia: the sexual arousal from food.
While it might look fun on screen, medical experts are urging anyone curious about trying it to be careful about what they're working with.
Sitophilia has been described as the desire to fulfil sexual fantasies that centre on or partially involve food and drink. Some people call it food play, and sploshing is a specific subset of that; think of it as messy, sensory play using food or substances like foam, honey, oil, and more.
According to Ocado, over a third of sexually active Brits include food in their intimate moments, so it's clearly not as niche as you might think.
Sexologist Dr Jess O'Reilly has said of sploshing: "You can re-script experiences that are often laden in shame into experiences that produce pleasure. For some people, [sploshing] can be highly erotic and for others, it can be a process of healing."
Sex therapist Courtney Boyer has also previously noted that its rise in popularity is largely down to how accessible it is, telling Metro: "You don't need special equipment, and it can feel less intimidating than impact play or restraint. It's got great 'dip your toe in' energy."
On the other hand, doctors are keen to point out that not all food is created equal when it comes to bedroom use.
Board-certified ob/gyn Dr Jamil Abdur-Rahman has warned: "Normally, we tell people if they're using food during foreplay, they can place it on any part of the body minus mucous membranes like the vagina and rectum."
Sweet sauces like honey, whipped cream, and melted chocolate (the kinds of things that look great on screen) are among the biggest offenders, with Abdur-Rahman explaining: "These things can change the pH of the vagina. Sugar can serve as a food source for bacteria and yeast."
Spicy foods, oils, alcohol, allergens, extreme temperatures, and small fruits and vegetables are also on the no-go list, for reasons ranging from infections to potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
Euphoria season three continues with new episodes every Sunday in the US and Monday in the UK on HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and NOW.