Dangers of Anal Sex

Anal sex has become incredibly popular over the years, and to a point, has become a 'sex status symbol' of sorts. Guys like to brag about being let in the out door, and rates of people trying out butt stuff have never been higher.

On one hand, this is actually pretty cool — and a positive indicator of our society's ability to be honest with itself about sexuality. Anal sex can give orgasms to people of all genders, thanks to our evolution of having nerve endings back there.

However, as good as anal sex can be, it also has a bad side. In fact, anal sex is considered to be one of the most dangerous sex acts you can do by medical professionals. It's important to discuss the dangers of anal sex so that you know how to do it safely the first time around.

First, let's talk about disease transmission.

Disease is a major cause for concern with any anal play, and some of the most worrisome dangers of anal sex involves disease transmission. There are two general areas of concern when it comes to the disease side of anal sex.

Analingus, when done on an unwashed anus, means that you're putting your tongue on fecal remains. This in turn can cause you to contract a disease. E.coli, herpes, certain forms of hepatitis, and other diseases can end up in your system this way.

Moreover, microtears in your rectum caused by anal sex can also make catching and transmitting STDs easier. This is why people who have anal sex tend to have higher rates of HIV transmission.

If you want to avoid the disease dangers of anal sex, keep your butt clean, use a condom, and use plenty of lube for penetration.

In more extreme cases, aggressive anal sex can cause a fistula.

One of the lesser-known dangers of anal sex is the possibility of developing a fistula. If your partner is very large and very rough, a tear can happen that causes your bowel to develop a hole inside it.

This is called a fistula, and yes, it is potentially lethal. Fistulas often cause feces to get passed into other areas of your body. If feces ends up in your blood stream, you can go into septic shock. However, getting to that point is pretty rare.

As far as the dangers of anal sex goes, this is one of those that is unlikely to happen — but still possible. Most of the time, fistulas are very uncomfortable. They do require surgery to fix, though.

The easiest way to avoid a fistula is to go slow, and to listen to your body. If you notice that your backside is hurting, stop having anal sex. It takes a while to relax into it, and not listening to yourself can end up with ugly consequences.

It may also cause a little bit weaker rectal muscles.

Some studies have shown that people who receive anal sex are more likely to have a hard time holding feces in — and may also feel a greater sense of urgency when it comes to the bathroom. However, the studies show that this is usually a subtle change.

Though that may sound pretty terrifying, you shouldn't be worried. The same studies showed that the vast majority of people who regularly have anal sex do not have issues controlling their bowels. In other words, your butt will be fine.

Lastly, you probably don't have to worry about prolapsing, but you might have to worry about hemorrhoids getting worse.

Anal prolapses happen when your insides fall out of your outside, and a common urban legend about anal sex is that too rough a partner can have this happen to you. Believe it or not, anal prolapse is extremely unlikely to happen due to anal sex.

Though it is possible that anal sex can cause prolapse, the small number of people who report prolapses suggests that it takes a lot to actually cause this during a roll in the hay. Overall, it probably isn't reasonable to assume that it might happen to you.

However, there has been solid evidence that you could get worse hemorrhoids if you have anal sex. This makes sense, considering that hemorrhoids are inflamed nerves around the rectum. Rubbing something that's inflamed will make it more inflamed.

In Conclusion...

Knowing how to prevent the dangers of anal sex is crucial to actually being able to enjoy it. And, while it might be risky, the right preparation can make it a ton of fun.