Practicing safe anal sex is not as intuitive as safe vaginal sex, so Cosmopolitan. Don't have anal sex if your anus isn't clean and your bowels are still full. Because there's less lubrication and the hole is less elastic, you're more likely to get tiny tears in your skin during anal sex, so keeping the area as clean as possible is best for preventing infections. Don't use the same condom if you switch between vaginal and anal sex. Don't think that just because you can't get pregnant, you don't need to use condoms. Those little tears in the skin you can get during anal sex make it even more likely that you'll get any STIs your partner might have, because they'll have direct access to your bloodstream, explains Jennifer Gunter, M. But it's possible to protect yourself. Do not use anal toys that don't come with an easy way to get them out. Boyle says that every emergency room doctor has dealt with an item stuck in a butt: soda bottles, cue balls, vaginal vibrators, and so on.
Latest news
Subscribe to the VICE newsletter.
Anal swelling can occur for a variety of reasons. Most causes of a swollen anus are temporary and harmless, but some require medical attention. The anus is at the end of the rectum, and muscle surrounds it. Depending on the cause of the swelling, people may have additional symptoms, such as pain, itching, burning, or bleeding around the anus.
You are here
Sometimes you have a sex question that's not just, you know, an idle passing thought. In America today, it's all about anal. It's not just a highly sought-after porn genre, though—more and more Americans are giving it the old college try IRL, too. As anal has increased in popularity, curiosity and concern about the potential long-term effects of being on the receiving end of it—or, as some call it, "bottoming"—have also spiked. I've seen this firsthand in my work as a sex educator, where questions on this topic have been on an upward trend, both in my classes and in my email inbox.
As more couples explore this type of sex, understanding the risks, rewards, and proper strategy is important. According to the Centers for Disease Control CDC , anal sex is primarily growing in popularity with couples under age You might think of anal sex as anal penetration with a penis, but you have a few more options. Anal sex can also be performed with fingers or the tongue. Sex toys , like vibrators , dildos , and butt plugs , are used too. It just requires more planning, prep, and communication than some other forms of sexual activity. Safety during sex should be a top priority, but having fun is certainly important, too. Keep reading to learn more. The vagina is a bit of a natural wonder. When a woman is aroused, the vagina provides its own lubricant for sex.
