If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. Anal sex is the practice of inserting the penis, fingers, or a foreign object such as a vibrator into the anus for sexual pleasure. With the appropriate precautions, anal sex is mostly safe. However, there are different potential risks that may not be present in vaginal or oral sex. For example, the anus cannot naturally lubricate itself to reduce discomfort and friction-related concerns, such as skin injuries. This article will discuss some of the potential risks of anal sex as well as dispel some myths related to the practice. The anus lacks the cells that create the natural lubricant the vagina has. It also does not have the saliva of the mouth.

Why do women who have anal sex get more orgasms?
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Anal intercourse is a highly efficient mode of HIV transmission. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that anal intercourse is also widely practiced by women in the US 1 — 4. Given that anal intercourse is associated with higher rates of heterosexual HIV transmission than vaginal intercourse 10 — 13 , women who engage in unprotected anal intercourse with sexual partners of unknown or seropositive status may be at greater risk for acquiring HIV than women who do not practice anal intercourse or who use protection while doing so. Additionally, Halperin 1 found that women who engaged in anal intercourse were less likely to use condoms during anal intercourse than during vaginal intercourse. Most studies of heterosexual HIV transmission fail to distinguish between vaginal and anal intercourse in their assessments of coital acts, thus continuing to overlook anal intercourse as a potential source of HIV transmission. This oversight may be due to cultural taboos surrounding anal intercourse, including its association with homosexuality and its perceived lack of hygiene 1.
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If the question "Do you like anal sex? Over the past decade, anal sex —or at least, talking about anal sex—has become significantly less taboo, perhaps because butts have taken on an entirely new status thanks, Kardashians or because society has become more sex-positive overall yay! But guess what?
This study used qualitative methods to assess why women engage in heterosexual anal receptive intercourse AI with a male partner. Four focus groups which comprised women from diverse ethnicities were conducted. All groups were digitally recorded for transcription; transcripts were analyzed using the methods of grounded theory to determine themes. The riskiness of AI was assessed within relationship contexts. Past experience with AI including emotional and physical reactions was identified. Among the negative physical experiences of AI were pain and disliking the sensation, and uncomfortable side effects, such as bleeding of the rectum. Negative emotional experiences of AI included feelings of shame, disgust, and being offended by something her male partner did, such as spitting on his penis for lubrication. Positive physical experiences included liking the sensation.