Sexual Health/Anal Sex

Sexual Health

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Anal sex, also called "anal intercourse" and "anal penetration", is a sexual act where one partner inserts their penis into the anus of another. In a broader sense, anal sex is any kind of sexual stimulation of the anus.

Precautions

You should use a lubricant, preferably one specifically designed for anal play. Generally, you should not use lubricants with local anesthetics (e.g. lidocaine), as doing so may make it harder to tell if something has gone wrong.
Let your partner know if there is any pain and ask them to do the same. If there ever is pain, you should stop intercourse.
The introduction of the object should be careful and slow.
Relaxing your anus can help reduce pain and discomfort.
Do not switch between anal and vaginal intercourse without first changing the condom that you are using. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of infection.
Note that, while the risk of pregnancy from anal sex is extremely low, it is not zero. Additionally, the risk of sexually transmitted infections from anal sex is higher than that of vaginal sex due to the anatomical nature of the anus.
Ensure that any object or sex toy used anally has a flared base.

Additionally, any precautions that apply to vaginal intercourse apply here as well.