Fridae

"The idea is not to have the best sauna on the block, but to get the entire block in the sauna."

-Professor Harold Tier
President, Finnish Sauna Society

Roy Chua, a 40-year old professional, staggers out of a local gay club at 3.00am, reeling under the influence of the six Long Island Teas he's downed over the course of the night. He gets into his car and heads down to an all-night sauna to wash-up and relax until the wee hours of the morning, and perhaps even enjoy a little bit of wicked fun.

Visits to the local gay sauna are becoming increasing popular and these saunas are changing the lifestyles of gay men all over Asia.

Today, no gay pilgrimage to another Asian country is complete without a visit to one or more of the popular gay saunas such as Paragon in Shinjuku, Hans Men's Sauna and Imperial Palace Sauna in Taipei, Otot2 and Uptown Mirage in Kuala Lumpur, Game Boy and WE Club in Hongkong, Stroke, Blue Heaven, Rairua and One Seven in Singapore, and of course, the notorious Bangkok duo, Babylon and Chakran.

So what exactly is the appeal of saunas?

For centuries, societies have been using steam and heat for recreation, relaxation, meditation and for medicinal purposes. Ancient Romans used steam baths and heat therapy to treat many ailments. For Native Americans, the "Sweat Lodge" was a place for prayer and the discussion of community issues. Visiting the saunas is therefore a social event, much like dropping by the local gay pub or attending a gay party, but probably much healthier than both.

Unsurprisingly, most gay men claimed that saunas are an excellent venue for catching up on the local gossip while enjoying a good soak with friends, both old and newfound. And with homosexuality being illegal in most parts of Asia, saunas provide a much welcome "shelter" for gay men looking for a venue to congregate and have a little bit of harmless fun.

The appeal of saunas also lies in their promise of naked men, murky corners and sweaty action. In fact, saunas are fast replacing the local swimming pool and gay bars as the cruising hotspot for gay men (though less so for lesbians) throughout Asia. As proper sauna etiquette requires the shedding of one's clothes for hygiene purposes, being in a sauna often causes one to shed one's inhibitions. Immersed in a literal "penis gallery" and surrounded by glistening torsos and towel-clad bulges at every corner, one would be "hard-pressed" to find another source of eye candy as appealing as the sauna.

Since most saunas also come equipped with small dark rooms for their patrons to engage in just that little bit of "hot" action (pardon the pun), every trip to a gay sauna has become rife with endless sexual possibilities. And even if you find yourself excluded from any illicit activity either because of your Puritan upbringing or for some other reasons, you could just play voyeur and watch gay men pick up one another or perhaps even catch a glimpse of the action that usually takes place in the more remote areas of the sauna.

And if the above reasons aren't good enough, a visit to the local gay sauna could also prove beneficial to one's health. Sweating it out in a sauna is said to flush impurities from the body, improve blood circulation, lower heart rates and blood pressure, ease sore muscles and at the same time invigorate our body's largest organ - the skin (what were you thinking of?).

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The high temperatures in a sauna also increase body temperature and with inner temperature rise, important endocrine glands are stimulated to release hormones that accelerate the body's metabolism. The heat produces an artificial "fever" which urges every organ of the body into action so that while outwardly relaxed, your inner organs are as active as though you were jogging or mowing the lawn. So sitting in a sauna may just be the most vigorous activity you've had all day (and that's excluding all the humping and bumping).

However, before you grab that towel and head on down to the nearest gay sauna, there are certain precautions you should be aware of as that visit to the sauna could prove to be risky and could actually endanger your health and well-being.

Firstly, steam and sauna baths can cause dehydration as the excessive heat leads to profuse sweating and the loss of important body salts. So remember to replenish your body salts and drink plenty of water before and after your visit to the sauna.

Secondly, saunas have an adverse effect on sperm production. According to Roger Kirby, consultant urologist, "The testes are outside the body for a reason - to keep them at a cooler temperature than the rest of the body." Consequently, the high temperatures in a sauna could cause a severe decrease in sperm count, leading to infertility. (Note: For gay men with no intention of fathering children, this nugget of information may prove to be a blessing for what could be a better reason to defer any talk of marriage than infertility itself?)

Then there is the risk of fungal infections arising from regular trips to the sauna. As sweating in the skin folds actually encourages bacterial and other fungal infections, sauna patrons may find themselves afflicted with unsightly white patches over the body (a condition otherwise known as tenia versicolour).

To cap it off, a visit to the sauna could impair your blood circulation. This happens because sweating causes a decrease in the blood volume, lowers blood pressure and thus reduces the oxygen supply to the vital body tissues. So although visiting the sauna after a night of clubbing might seem highly desirable, it could prove detrimental especially if you have had a few rounds of drinks. The reason is simple enough: the heat in a sauna causes the capillaries in the skin to dilate, which in effect lowers blood pressure. So sauna bathing, in conjunction with an episode of heavy alcohol consumption, could induce a blood pressure drop that might be injurious to those with pre-existing heart disease.

Having said that, you should not cancel that visit to the sauna you have been planning for. The effects of the sauna on individual health can be very personal. Additional care should be taken only if the bather has a history of low blood pressure or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, since these can strengthen the effects of the sauna. As a rule, most gay men can safely enjoy the sauna if they feel ok about it and have no issues about putting their family jewels on display for all to see.

Just remember to observe the proper sauna etiquette (refer to Fridae.com's comics archive on how to survive a trip to the local gay sauna) and you might find your visit to the local gay sauna bringing a flush to your cheeks in more ways than one.

Now go get wet.


Editor's note: In the last few months, many saunas around the region have been subjected to police scrutiny and/or limitations in their operations. Readers are advised to exercise care and discretion when visiting saunas. We also encourage readers to take a look at some information regarding their rights.