August is Anal Health and Pleasure Month!
We’ve created this list with resources and a few tips to help support a positive sexual relationship with your bum.
As a sexual health organization, most of the questions we get about the anus are about anal sex. Some of the most common questions we get are about how to be safe, how to minimize any discomfort or pain and how to maximize pleasure. Though everyone’s body is different, a little prep can go a long way towards all of those aims.
The anus doesn’t produce its own lubrication like the vagina or an uncircumcised penis does. This can make that tissue a little more likely to tear, but this difference can be easily managed by having plenty of lube on hand, using it generously, and by starting slow. Your body is the best guide here, as it is with other kinds of sex: if things feel comfortable and good, you can move forward, whether that means moving from a finger to a toy (don’t forget that toys for anal play MUST have a flared base for safety!), or letting a partner know they can go deeper or faster if they want to, too.
It may be comforting to know that feces is less of an issue with anal sex than you might think. The anus itself is empty most of the time, because stool is stored further up the large intestine. Heather Corinna discusses this and more in this response to someone looking to try anal sex with their partner for the first time. If you are going to engage in anal sex with a partner, you and they may also find this piece about going and being inside someone else’s body by Heather and CJ Turett helpful, too.
As a part of her excellent series for us on pelvic health, physiotherapist Caitlin Tivy offers help understanding anodyspareunia: pain that occurs during anal sex. Her step-by-step guide offers advice for approaching anal sex if you’re worried about pain.
It’s remarkably easy (and human!) to hurt ourselves in the pursuit of feeling good. Despite planning, there is still a chance we may get hurt during sex. Getting hurt in our bodies is just as acceptable as feeling good in them. That’s why we have this article for how to manage (& prevent) sex-related injuries, including anal fissures and genital soreness.
As always, if you’re looking for advice and support you can reach us through our direct services. We’re serious about cultivating a judgment-free environment, so we mean it when we say you can ask us all the questions about bodies, sex, and anything else you might be holding back from asking others! We are here for you when you need us. <3
