Anal sex

Roman man and youth having anal sex., Cameo perfume bottles, ca. 30 CE; Found in Estepa, Spain.

Anal sex or anal intercourse is a form of human sexual behavior. While the term "anal sex" can be used to describe any sexual act involving the anus, anal cavity, sphincter valve and/or rectum, it is more specifically used to describe the insertion of the erect penis into the rectum through the anus. It is practiced by a wide variety of people including both heterosexual and homosexual partners.

Overview

Although it is also practiced by heterosexuals and bisexuals, anal sex is often associated with gay men. However, like persons of other sexual orientations, some homosexual and bisexual men enjoy sexual activities of this kind while others do not.

Due to the wide range of people who practice anal sex, the reasons that people have for practicing anal sex vary greatly. Generally, for women, pleasure is derived through anal intercourse due to the shared nerve endings that are located between the rectal wall and the vagina. The anus itself contains many nerves as well, which can also react in a pleasurable manner, when excited. Many males who have anal sex with a female partner cite the tightness of the anus, compared to the vagina, as a primary source of pleasure; males receiving anal sex, however, generally gain pleasure through the prostate gland that is located near the rectal wall.

During vaginal intercourse, the vagina normally produces its own lubrication, while the rectum does not; personal lubricants are therefore recommended by many sexologists for use during anal sex by both males and females. Using personal lubricants not only increases the pleasure for both partners, but it also reduces the incidence of lesions in the rectal tissue, and thereby the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, unprotected anal sex carries more risk of STD transmission than vaginal or oral sex, in part due to the less lubricated nature of the rectal area. More importantly, people who engage in anal sex are encouraged to use latex condoms in addition to lubrication, in order to control these risks. Even when lubricated condoms are used, additional condom-compatible lubrication is advised as it appears to reduce the risk of condom slippage [1].

Anal sex among heterosexuals

Edward O. Laumann's The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States found that about 20% of heterosexuals have engaged in anal sex, and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey found that number to be closer to 40%. More recently, a researcher from the University of British Columbia (quoted in the May 5 2005 issue of The Georgia Straight) puts the number of heterosexuals who regularly practice anal sex at between 30% and 50%.

Having a hole, the big key is always entering in!!!

In several cultures female receptive anal intercourse in a heterosexual context is widely accepted, especially as there is low risk of unwanted pregnancy via unprotected anal intercourse (however this is not an absolute guarantee, as semen can leak across the perineum). Anal sex is even sometimes seen as preserving female virginity (or at least preserving an intact hymen until marriage). Another reason is that the anus is considered to be "tighter" than the vagina (especially after a delivery), therefore yielding more tactile pleasure for the penis.

Some have purported that the appeal of anal sex, to heterosexuals, is the concept of degradation: the woman is being used for the man's pleasure, without, arguably, receiving any on her own ^{[citation needed]}. Feminists also argue that a male heterosexual attraction to the practice has a basis in patriarchal mythologies surrounding a fear of the vagina and suspicion of women's sexual enjoyment and appetites (see succubus). Additionally, they argue that the appeal of anal sex to many male heterosexuals is a fetish of the taboo associated with feces and human waste, as well as of violence and domination, as anal sex practices can result in the bruising and tearing of tissue. The contrary view is that the anus is a highly sensitive area with erogenous potential, providing ample opportunity for sexual arousal; that anal sex is a natural permutation of human sexuality, little different from oral sex or other noncoital contact; and that women can derive as much pleasure from the violation of taboos against non-traditional sexual practices as men can. Studies such as Kinsey have suggested that approximately 35-40% of women who have experienced anal sex find it pleasurable, though this figure may vary depending on many factors.

In many cultures, even those where female receptive anal intercourse is considered normative, male receptive anal intercourse, even in a heterosexual context, is seen as taboo, or as less common. In some cultures anal sex is so commonly linked with homosexuality that any male who engages in receptive anal intercourse is considered homosexual, even if he is penetrated by a female partner with a sexual device (see pegging) or other things such as her hand, finger, or fist. In some cultures, only males who are penetrated by other males are considered homosexual, while males who penetrate other males are not.

In certain contexts male-male anal intercourse among males who otherwise identify as heterosexual is seen as a temporary behaviour to which they resort when confined in single-sex environments. The only real current such situation can be found in prisons (see: Situational sexual behavior and Prison sex), but there is notable occurrence in boarding schools ^{[citation needed]}, and in the armed forces ^{[citation needed]}. Some men have sex with men without categorising themselves as homosexual or bisexual.

Anal sex among gay/bisexual men

In modern times in Western cultures, anal sex is popularly associated with gay men, and studies (Lauman, for example) claim that about 80% of gay men in the United States have engaged in anal sex.

Not all gay/bi men, however, regularly engage in anal sex or find it pleasurable. According to the Lauman study a significant minority (the remaining 20 %) never engage in it at all. The Corroborative studies in the urban men's health study (also known as Gay Urban Men's Study, P.I. Stall, UCSF) and the Young Men's Study (YMS, PI Osmond/Catania, UCSF) claim that only 50% of gay men engage in anal sex. Furthermore, the numbers in sexual surveys tend to reflect whether a gay man has ever had anal sex or has had anal sex in the last year, not distinguishing between men who've simply tried it and men who regularly engage in it. Since data on gay (or bi) sexual behavior tends to arouse such controversy, it is difficult to make solid claims in this area.

While some gay/bi male couples comprise an "active" partner and a "receptive" or "passive" partner (a top and a bottom) this is not true of all gay/bi couples who practice anal sex: many gay/bi men who have anal sex both "top" and "bottom" at different times, also known as "versatile" or "switch."

Several gay slang terms, such as the ones described are generally reserved only for anal sex between two males.

Cultural issues

Eastern cultures

Historically, several cultures, such as medieval Japan and others are known to have been normative practitioners of male-male anal intercourse, often in the context of a mentor-student relationship between an adolescent male and an adult man (see pederasty). Some claim that the males who participated in such relationships cannot properly be called homosexual, arguing that in classical cultures such distinctions did not exist, and participation in these male-male relationships did not preclude sex with women.

Ancient cultures

The practice is thought to have been so common in Ancient Greece that the term "Greek love" was used to refer to the practice, and in modern times, "Doing it the Greek way" is sometimes used as slang for anal sex. However, the view that homosexual anal sex was a commonly accepted practice in Ancient Greece is widely disputed. Some literature has argued that the important social transgression was lowering oneself socially, that is, a high status person was not supposed to be penetrated by a lower status person, and thus passive anal intercourse by men was frowned upon in Ancient Greece and considered a serious moral transgression. Certainly, male passive anal intercourse was (traditionally) frowned-upon in Rome. ^[1] Others have argued that in Greece, rather than anal sex, male-male couples actually engaged in non-penetrative interfemoral intercourse. However, this view has been disputed. The historian K.J. Dover discusses these matters thoroughly in his classic work Greek Homosexuality.

In several cultures, notably Japan, records (including detailed shunga) leave no question that male-male couples did engage in penetrative anal intercourse.

The 19th century anthropologist Richard Francis Burton has theorized that there is a geographical Sotadic zone wherein male/male penetrative intercourse is particularly prevalent and accepted; moreover he was one of the first writers to advance the premise that such an orientation is biologically determined.^[2]

Western cultures

In many Western countries, anal sex has generally been thought taboo since the Middle Ages when heretical movements were sometimes slandered by rumours that their members practiced anal sex among themselves. At that time the mainstream Christian clergy was not celibate, but the highest orders of some heretical sects were, leading to rumours that their celibacy was a sign of their attraction to members of the same sex. The term buggery originated in medieval Europe as an insult used to describe the rumoured same-sex sexual practices of the heretics from the Buggre sect. This sect originated in medieval Bulgaria, where its followers were called bogomils, but when they spread out of the country they were called buggres (from the ethnonym Bulgars).

Some medieval European woodcuts portray persons kissing the anus of a goat-like figure, sometimes referred to as Baphomet, representing the Christian Devil.

As recently as 2003, several jurisdictions in the United States had laws making anal sex and other forms of sodomy a crime. Many of these statutes purported to prohibit anal sex by same-sex partners. In 2003, John Lawrence and Tyron Garner brought a landmark suit that challenged as unconstitutional Texas's anti-sodomy law before the United States Supreme Court. Lawrence and Garner had previously been apprehended in Lawrence's home in the act of anal sex, after a neighbour had made a false noise complaint to the local police. The Supreme Court struck down the Texas law by a 6–3 vote. Five of the justices joined the deciding opinion, which overturned the Court's previous ruling on sodomy in Bowers v. Hardwick. The Court reached the conclusion that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the state from regulating private behaviours between adults without furthering a legitimate state interest. The governmental interest behind the law, "moral" objection to homosexuality, was held to not be a legitimate interest. (See Lawrence v. Texas.)

In Islam, Christianity, and Judaism

In Islamic religion, homosexuality is generally forbidden due to Qur'anic or Hadith-related prohibitions. Implicitly, Islam decrees anal sex to be sodomy and therefore a sin. Also, Islam restricts the penetration of husband's penis to the wife's rectum, and considers penis penetration into woman's anus as a guilt. Though, any coitus position or sexual intercourse activity between mates is permitted in Islam. Although most Christians and Jews, also, decree anal sex to be sodomy, some believe it to be acceptable. The Bible neither approved nor explicitly prohibited heterosexual anal sex.

Health issues

Anal sex, especially without prophylactic (condom) use, can be an effective way of passing on Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs).

Anal penetration carries some risks which vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and "outercourse" do not. The rectum and colon are not self-lubricating like the vagina and colorectal tissue is more delicate, meaning friction or insertion damage may happen more easily. The colorectal passage curves are neither strongly muscled nor padded, so physical injury may also happen more easily. Colorectal function includes absorption of fluid into the blood stream, providing an efficient entry point for STIs and an easy barrier to cross through even small tears in the intestinal lining.

These risks can be reduced by:

Consistent and correct use of personal lubricant and condoms. Oil-based lubricants like Vaseline can destroy latex condoms, and should be avoided.

Slow, gentle and responsive insertion to avoid pain and tearing.

Insertion of objects with edges or points can cause severe injury. Objects can also get lodged in the rectum, requiring medical intervention. For this reason, most modern dildos are made with flared bases. Objects forced more than seven or eight inches (17-20 cm) into the body risk colliding with the sigmoid colon, a bend in the intestine, and in cases of rough handling, trauma can result in internal bleeding with potentially fatal results.

Nothing that has been placed in or at the anus, including fingers, should ever come into contact with the vagina or mouth, either externally or internally, without being thoroughly washed with soap to avoid infection caused by the transmission of bacteria. Condoms can be placed over sex toys and latex or nitrile gloves can be worn to protect the hands and fingers. Shared sex toys can also transmit disease or infection. Silicone, metal acrylic, and glass dildos may be sterilized via cleaning and boiling instead. (See masturbation for more information on the use of sex toys.)

Some couples engage in "felching", where the top sucks out the semen he has deposited in the anus of the bottom as a result of "bareback" anal intercourse. This practice carries similar health risks to rimming.

Like any form of sex, anal sex can be riskier under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as these may alter judgment, reduce one's ability to assess risky behaviour or create a heightened sense of invulnerability.

Condoms and anal sex

Condoms are known to be less effective and more prone to burst or slip during anal sex than vaginal sex. It has been estimated that condoms fail anywhere from 10% - 32% of the time during anal sex.^[3] Due to this, many condom manufacturers have added warnings to the boxes of their condoms stating "for vaginal sex only".

Some manufacturers offer "extra strong" condoms designed specifically for anal intercourse. These condoms, while stronger, are usually not coated with spermicide and so offer less protection against pregnancy should semen enter a woman's vagina. However, since spermicide is not believed to help prevent STDs, the lacking of spermicide is not an issue for anal sex. In fact, spermicide can damage the lining of the colon over time and should be avoided in condoms and lubrication.

Legal issues

In some countries and States, it remains illegal for women and/or men to engage in anal sex.

References

^ Quignard, Pascal (1996) Le Sexe et l'effroi
^ Burton, Sir Richard Francis (1885). "Section D: Pederasty". "Terminal Essay", from his translation of The Arabian Nights. Retrieved 2006-04-03.
^ Silverman, B G (1997). "Use and Effectiveness of Condoms During Anal Intercourse". Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 24 (1): 14. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links and references

How to perform anal sex - Article discussing anal sex