Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Anal sex
The inner third of the anal canal is less sensitive to touch than the outer two-thirds, yet it is more sensitive to pressure, creating a complex landscape of pleasure and pain that has fascinated anatomists for centuries. This delicate tissue, composed of many nerve endings, controls the opening and closing of the anus through the internal and external sphincter muscles, which are sensitive membranes capable of facilitating intense sensations. Unlike the vagina, the rectum does not provide natural lubrication, making the tissue vulnerable to tearing and disease transmission if proper precautions are not taken. The rectum itself is a curved tube about 12 centimeters long with the capacity to expand, housing the prostate gland in men, which is located next to the rectum and is the larger, more developed male homologue to the female Skene's glands. Stimulation of this gland through anal penetration can produce a deeper orgasm, sometimes described by men as more widespread and intense, longer-lasting, and allowing for greater feelings of ecstasy than orgasm elicited by penile stimulation only. However, research indicates that anal sex occurs significantly less frequently than other sexual behaviors, yet its association with dominance and submission, as well as taboo, makes it an appealing stimulus to people of all sexual orientations.
The Taboo and The Law
In ancient Sumer, priestesses were forbidden from producing offspring and frequently engaged in anal sex as a method of birth control, a practice that was not regarded as taboo by the early civilization. The Sumerian sign for the word meaning anal intercourse was a ligature of the signs for 'penis' and 'anus', and one proverb reads: 'When the priest wiped off his ass [he said], 'I must not arouse that which belongs to my mistress [i.e., Inanna].' In contrast, Roman society condemned a male citizen taking the passive role in anal intercourse as an act of immodesty, while free men could take the active role with a young male slave. The passive partner in any of these cases was always considered a woman or a boy because being the one who penetrates was characterized as the only appropriate way for an adult male citizen to engage in sexual activity. In modern times, the practice remains criminalized in some regions; Iran's Penal Code states in Article 110 that those convicted of engaging in anal sex will be executed, and the manner of execution is at the discretion of the judge. Religious prohibitions have historically been strong, with Christian texts sometimes euphemistically referring to anal sex as the sin against nature, and Islamic law prohibiting same-sex male practitioners of anal sex, who are seen as criminals in the same way that a thief is a criminal.
The Silent Epidemic
Common questions
What is the anatomical difference in sensitivity between the inner and outer parts of the anal canal?
The inner third of the anal canal is less sensitive to touch than the outer two-thirds, yet it is more sensitive to pressure. This tissue is composed of many nerve endings that control the opening and closing of the anus through the internal and external sphincter muscles.
How does anal sex affect HIV transmission risk compared to other sexual behaviors?
Unprotected receptive anal sex with an HIV positive partner is the sex act most likely to result in HIV transmission. The anal sphincter is a delicate, easily torn tissue that can provide an entry for pathogens, making the risk of injury to a woman during anal intercourse significantly higher than during vaginal intercourse.
What are the legal consequences of engaging in anal sex in Iran according to the Penal Code?
Iran's Penal Code states in Article 110 that those convicted of engaging in anal sex will be executed. The manner of execution is at the discretion of the judge.
What percentage of college students who self-identified as non-virgins used condoms during anal sex in a 2000 study?
A 2000 study found that 22.9% of college students who self-identified as non-virgins had anal sex, and they used condoms during anal sex 20.9% of the time. This rate is lower than the 42.9% of the time they used condoms during vaginal intercourse.
How many new cases of anal cancer were estimated in the United States in 2023 by the American Cancer Society?
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023 there were approximately 9,760 new cases and approximately 1,870 deaths in the United States. Most cases of anal cancer are related to infection with the human papilloma virus, which is often contracted through unprotected anal sex.
What percentage of Moche pottery stirrup-spout pots depicted male-female anal intercourse?
In a survey of a collection of Moche stirrup-spout pots, it was found that 31 percent of them depicted male-female anal intercourse significantly more than any other sex act. These pottery pieces belonged to the world of the dead, which was believed to be a reversal of life.
Unprotected receptive anal sex with an HIV positive partner is the sex act most likely to result in HIV transmission, making it a critical public health concern. The anal sphincter is a delicate, easily torn tissue that can provide an entry for pathogens, and the risk of injury to a woman during anal intercourse is significantly higher than the risk of injury to her during vaginal intercourse because of the durability of the vaginal tissues compared to the anal tissues. If a man abruptly changes from anal intercourse to vaginal intercourse without a condom or without changing it, infections can arise in the vagina or urinary tract due to bacteria present within the anus. Most cases of anal cancer are related to infection with the human papilloma virus, which is often contracted through unprotected anal sex. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023 there were approximately 9,760 new cases and approximately 1,870 deaths in the United States, and that, though anal cancer has been on the rise for many years, it is mainly diagnosed in adults, with an average age being in the early 60s. Despite these risks, condom use with anal sex is often reported to be low and inconsistent across all groups in various countries, partly because of the view that anal sex is not real sex and therefore does not result in virginity loss or pregnancy.
The Technical Virgin
Some couples practice anal intercourse as a form of contraception, often in the absence of a condom, because the likelihood of pregnancy occurring during anal sex is greatly reduced, as anal sex alone cannot lead to pregnancy unless sperm is somehow transported to the vaginal opening. In Christian communities in the United States, a person, especially a teenage girl or woman, who engages in anal sex or other sexual activity with no history of having engaged in vaginal intercourse may be regarded as not having yet experienced virginity loss, a concept sometimes called technical virginity. A 2000 study found that 22.9% of college students who self-identified as non-virgins had anal sex, and they used condoms during anal sex 20.9% of the time as compared with 42.9% of the time with vaginal intercourse. One study found US teens who pledged to not have sex until marriage were more likely to engage in anal sex without vaginal sex than teens who had not made a sexual abstinence pledge, and found pledge-takers were just as likely to test positive for an STI five years after taking the pledge as those who had not pledged to abstinence. This disconnect between perceived safety and actual risk has led to significant public health challenges, particularly among adolescents who may believe that an STI can only result from vaginal intercourse.
The Silent Pleasure
In a 2010 clinical review article of heterosexual anal sex, anal intercourse is used to specifically denote penile-anal penetration, and anal sex is used to denote any form of anal sexual activity. The review suggests that anal sex is exotic among the sexual practices of some heterosexuals and that for a certain number of heterosexuals, anal intercourse is pleasurable, exciting, and perhaps considered more intimate than vaginal sex. While some women find being a receptive partner during anal intercourse painful or uncomfortable, or only engage in the act to please a male sexual partner, other women find the activity pleasurable or prefer it to vaginal intercourse. The anal sphincters are usually tighter than the pelvic muscles of the vagina, which can enhance the sexual pleasure for the inserting male during male-to-female anal intercourse because of the pressure applied to the penis. Men may also enjoy the penetrative role during anal sex because of its association with dominance, because it is made more alluring by a female partner or society in general insisting that it is forbidden, or because it presents an additional option for penetration. In a 2012 sex survey conducted by the NSSHB in the U.S., among homosexual men who have anal sex, 83.3% report ever having anal sex in the insertive position, and 90% in the receptive position, though anal intercourse is less common than oral sex and mutual masturbation among committed male couples.
The Forgotten History
Evidence suggestive of widespread male-female anal intercourse in a pre-modern culture can be found in the erotic vases, or stirrup-spout pots, made by the Moche people of Peru; in a survey, of a collection of these pots, it was found that 31 percent of them depicted male-female anal intercourse significantly more than any other sex act. Moche pottery of this type belonged to the world of the dead, which was believed to be a reversal of life, and therefore the reverse of common practices was often portrayed. In Japan, records including detailed shunga show that some males engaged in penetrative anal intercourse with males. Greek artwork of sexual interaction between men and boys usually depicted fondling or intercrural sex, which was not condemned for violating or feminizing boys, while male-male anal intercourse was usually depicted between males of the same age-group. Intercrural sex was not considered penetrative and two males engaging in it was considered a clean act. Some sources explicitly state that anal sex between men and boys was criticized as shameful and seen as a form of hubris. In later Roman-era Greek poetry, anal sex became a common literary convention, represented as taking place with eligible youths, those who had attained the proper age but had not yet become adults.
The Modern Obsession
Anal sex being more common among heterosexuals today than it was previously has been linked to the increase in consumption of anal pornography among men, especially among those who view it on a regular basis. Seidman et al. argued that cheap, accessible and, especially, interactive media have enabled many more people to produce as well as consume pornography, and that this modern way of producing pornography, in addition to the buttocks and anus having become more eroticized, has led to a significant interest in or obsession with anal sex among men. In pornography, anal sex is commonly portrayed as a desirable, painless routine that does not require personal lubricant, which can result in couples performing anal sex without care, and men and women believing that it is unusual for women, as receptive partners, to find discomfort or pain instead of pleasure from the activity. Despite the portrayal in media, researchers say adequate application of a personal lubricant, relaxation, and communication between sexual partners are crucial to avoid pain or damage to the anus or rectum. The prevalence of anodyspareunia, or pain during receptive anal sex, is difficult to measure; in two population studies of men receiving anal sex, 18% and 14% reported experiencing anodyspareunia, and in a study of 2002 women, 8.7% of those who had engaged in anal sex reported experiencing severe pain.