Anal Sex 101
Anal sex means penis-in-anus sex or toy-in-anus sex. For some people, the anus and prostate are erogenous zones — a part of the body that, when touched, makes you feel aroused.
Some people think anal sex is less risky because pregnancy is extremely unlikely. (You can’t get pregnant from having anal sex unless you let semen drip from the anus into the vagina.) But anal sex still comes with risks. You can get an STD from anal sex — whether you’re on the giving or receiving end — just like you could from oral or vaginal sex. Side note: there are also steps you can take to make oral-to-anal sex more safe.
Here’s how to keep yourself and your partner safer during anal sex:
- Consent is key. Porn can give us unrealistic expectations about sex. It can make some people feel like anal sex is something that’s expected or required. It’s definitely not! Make sure the person you want to have anal sex with is 100% on board. And partners should check in with each other periodically to make sure that they’re still comfortable and into it.
- Use protection. Condoms offer great protection against STDs. You can also put condoms on sex toys — like dildos, vibrators, or butt plugs — to keep yourself and your partner protected. Just make sure to use a different condom if you change partners or switch to oral or vaginal sex. Cross-contaminating butt germs can make you sick or cause infections. Also, anal sex without a condom is more likely to pass HIV than oral or vaginal sex. Talk to your doctor or nurse about about whether PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) — a daily pill that can help prevent HIV — is right for you.
- Lube is your best friend. Lube keeps sex nice and slippery, cutting down on friction and leading to safer and more comfortable sex. Unlike vaginas, the anus can’t lubricate itself. So without lube, anal sex can be super painful and even dangerous: dry anal sex can lead to irritation and tears in the anus and rectum, putting both of you at a higher risk for STDs, including HIV. Friction also makes condoms break more easily. if a condom breaks during anal sex, talk to a nurse or doctor, like the staff at your nearest Planned Parenthood health center, about STD testing.
If the idea of anal sex doesn’t turn you on, that’s 100% okay. As with all things sexual, you don’t have to have anal sex if you don’t want to. The important thing is that if you’re going to have anal sex, make sure you’re taking steps to protect yourself and your partner.
-Chelsea @ Planned Parenthood