Dear Athena,
I’ll cut right to the chase. My husband and I really enjoy anal sex. I need a lot of foreplay, and it always kind of hurts at first, but once we get going, it feels really good and makes me climax. I have two questions for you, though. The first is, why does this feel good and give me orgasms? I don’t get the anatomy of this. It seems to me there is nothing in there that should feel this good. Secondly, what are the long-term effects of anal sex? My husband would have it all the time if I let him, but I try to keep it to once a month due to the fact that it takes a lot of time to warm me up and sometimes I’m just not into the initial pain involved. I’m also afraid that, if we do it too frequently, the long-term effects could be negative. Please shed some light on this subject for me. I’ve been way too shy to ask my doctor about this.
Thanks,
Masturbating on the Mind
Dear Apprehensive,
First question first: How is it possible to orgasm from anal sex? This anatomy lesson is brought to you from sexualhealth.com and my own gynecologist.
(Side note: I think you should really try to open up to your doctor. He or she is a professional health care provider whose job is to reserve judgment and remain confidential. It’s paramount to your long-term health and safety that you express any concerns directly to your doc.)
OK. Back to the lesson. Orgasms are made possible by hypersensitive nerve endings, which, when stimulated, send impulses to the brain and spinal cord, resulting in those delightful climaxes you know and love. Your genitals contain several different nerves, which is why you feel different sensations when you’re stimulated in different places.
When it comes to anal sex, you’ve got several feel-good nerves working for you, including the pelvic nerve running to the rectum and the pudendal nerve to the muscles surrounding the anus. So your orgasms back there are perfectly — and anatomically — normal. Mystery solved.
As for negative effects: Fecal incontinence (loss of bowel control) is the most common concern, but you’d have to engage in daily, rough anal sex to experience significant weakening in that area.
However, studies show that if you or your partner has been exposed to any high-risk strains of HPV, it can increase your chances for anal cancer. HPV is extremely common, while anal cancer is quite uncommon. Get tested, just to be safe. Have a frank chat with your gynecologist, and he or she will be able to address your fears. And if anal sex hurts, consider more foreplay and definitely more lube. Your husband may be so excited about the coming attractions that he’s speeding through the previews. Ask him to go slow — really slow — especially upon entering. But there’s no reason to deny yourselves the pleasures of the back door. Being able to orgasm in different ways is an anatomical perk. Enjoy it.
Yours,
Athena
This article appears in Dec 24-30, 2014.
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No, orgasms by anal sex are NOT normal anatomically or otherwise. The anus is an exit for the body to eject it’s waste products. The fact there are nerves nearby is complete happenstance.
The male penis is designed (evolved) to go one place and that is the female vagina. PERIOD. Anything else is unnatural. End of story. The fact that the homosexual movement and the porn industry has normalized this decidedly unhealthy behavior doesn’t make it good for you or acceptable to do.
I am so sick and tired of reading people like you who are promoting something that TEARS THE ANUS WALLS EVERY SINGLE TIME it’s performed. EVERY SINGLE TIME. These tears are then open to all the bacteria the anus naturally has. People somehow don’t link their bad overall healthy to this. Let’s not even talk about the long term effects of anal sex which loosens the anus over time making late life miserable.
“Let’s not even talk about the long term effects of anal sex which loosens the anus over time making late life miserable.”
Source? Or is it BS like the rest of your post? You do realize the vagina and mouth have bacteria, and the vaginal walls are actually quite delicate and tear substantially more than the anus? The natural presence of blood lets this bacteria into the bloodstream as well. Unless the anus tears through all the protecting layers and there is blood, there will be no bacteria introduced into the blood stream.
Done properly anal sex can be performed virtually every day, indefinitely, while maintaining a healthy body. My long time wife and I are living proof of this, each being recipients of anal sex throughout the weeks, months and years of our partnership. It doesn’t happen every time we have sex, but we both enjoy it when we are in the mood, which for me is often shortly after my cup of coffee in the morning, and for her after she comes back from jogging.
Don’t spread false information about peoples lifestyles based on your ridiculous bias.
Timber you are an idiot. I stop reading after you said the vaginal wall is more delicate then the anus. You do realize the whole female sexual organ purpose is to give birth. How in the he!! could an organ going thru that much trauma pushing out a small human being have more delicate walls then an anus that pushes out stool!? Please, use your mind. Also the vaginal bacteria is a balanced between good and bad bacteria. Also the vagina is self cleaning. I doubt the anus is. You got so caught up in your feelings that you left facts and logic at the door. Shame.
I did not see anyone promoting anal sex, they only described their experiences.
Eve, if you are so against this practice, why are you on this blog? I sense a backdoor wanna be, but has no partner to enjoy it with.
Your facts are not backed by any medical expert, only your opinions, please keep your negativity and lonesome misery to yourself.
Ladybeth, Eve called him out on comparing his ass to a vagina – something which he does not have. She didn’t knock anal and you obviously haven’t thought of your own anatomy or her analysis to realize that she is right. I’ve given birth through my VAGINA twice not through my anus, though i enjoy anal sex on occasion as well. What about you? You sound like you’re a crazy judgmental woman hater for even saying that. You’re an asshole and telling her to ‘keep her negativity’ aren’t you doing the same thing? Where and how do you get off by being the first one to throw stones?
Anal sex is disgusting. I don’t care what any of you say or how you feel about it. Your asshole is meant to let waste out. Not to be fucked. That’s why there’s a VAGINA an organ that’s meant to have sex and give birth. Ugh I swear the nastiness you people do really disturbs me. You’re literally fucking a shit hole. But whatever you people just keep being you. All of y’all are nothing but a bunch of nasties.