Q. My boyfriend bought a penis ring, which the sex shop guy said would make him harder and last longer. Are they safe?

A. Penis rings constrict blood flow by keeping blood in the shaft of the penis. They also supposedly make his orgasms more intense because it takes longer to climax and the penis has more blood in it. Slip it over the head of the penis, pushing it down until it's fitting snugly at the bottom of the shaft. It should feel quite tight but not excessively so. The ring is perfectly safe as long as you make sure you remove it if there's too much swelling - and never, ever leave it on for a long period.