Is It Safe?

Well, yes. And no.

EVERY sex you have has potential risk. All of it.

Penises, for example can be broken during particularly vigorous bouts.

If a vagina is dry and lovers don’t use additional lube, they can cause micro-tears in the vagina.

The same thing can happen in anal sex.

Granted, the vagina does create its own lubrication usually (depending on hormones, etc.) and the anus does not, but that just means that real lube (not saliva) needs to be used for a healthy experience and to avoid those tears.

So, let’s talk about the risks.

STDs/STIs

Anal sex is the easiest way to get most STDs/STIs, because the skin there is so much thinner than in other areas of the body and more likely to be damaged (torn), exposing an STI directly to your bloodstream.

That said, it’s a good idea to be practicing safe sex overall, and if you use only properly maintained toys you won’t have to worry about any STIs, and you can still enjoy the pleasure. 

Bacteria/Viruses

Just as with STDs/STIs, any illnesses that have direct access to your bloodstream through your anus/rectum have a MUCH higher chance of infecting you.

Something as simple as the flu can be transmitted through blowing your nose then using unwashed hands for fingering.

Of course, if you put those same hands in another’s mouth or close to their eyes this holds true as well.

Also, anything (fingers, toys, cocks) that have been in an anus are covered with bacteria (possibly hepatitis A or E. Coli), and you want to wash carefully or change your condoms before moving on to vaginal sex or other interactions.

Analingus, or mouth-to-ass, increases your risk of catching something, so be aware. 

Incontinence

Having rough anal sex without proper preparation and training can damage the sphincters, leaving you with faulty gatekeepers for your poop chute, or at least a 2-4 percent greater chance of having a risk of fecal incontinence with regular anal sex, especially as a male.

So, don’t do that.

Read through this book (and others, if you can), take it slow and learn to practice anal sex safely for you and your partner(s).

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are caused by too much pressure on your lower abdomen over time.

You may get them from pushing too hard while on the pot (going No. 2), from being pregnant (a baby’s worth of pressure) and even just from being overweight.

But not from anal. Hemorrhoids build up over time and anal just doesn’t happen continuously for months at a time.

In fact, some suggest that anal sex is good for preventing hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids often occur when you strain and push too hard when going to the bathroom. The anus is made up of many muscles working together. The more you train to relax, the stronger those muscles get, which is a positive thing in moving things along with less strain.

That said, there is also the possibility that the pushing and stretching of anal sex can irritate hemorrhoids and make them worse, so take care.

Let’s Discuss!

What are your biggest safety concerns when it comes to anal play?