Whether you’re solo or with a partner, “start by using your finger and rimming the anus, then continue to massage and stimulate around the anus with your hands,” she says. That way you can go slowly and explore what you like. Since the sphincter muscle takes time to relax and stretch, going slow is key to comfortable anal play, and you may want to start on yourself, says Megan Fleming, PhD, an American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)–certified sex therapist and clinical instructor of psychology at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. If you’re interested in exploring anal play, there are a few things you should know to ensure you’re having safe, pleasurable sex - no matter how you’re choosing to do it. It is a variation of sexual play that can be highly pleasurable for different bodies, regardless of sex and gender.” “Anal sex has nothing to do with your sexual orientation. “Any place on the body where there are nerve endings can be an erogenous zone,” says Shannon Chavez, PsyD, a sex therapist based in Beverly Hills, California. That’s not surprising, according to experts.

In the United States, rates are even higher: About 36 percent of women and 42 percent of men ages 18 to 44 reported having anal sex at least once, per the CDC (PDF). The researchers found that anal sex among heterosexual people ages 16 to 24 has more than doubled in recent decades, going from about 13 percent to nearly 30 percent. Now, the act seems to be on the rise among heterosexual women in particular.Ī British study, published on August 11, 2022, in BMJ, pooled data from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle. While sometimes taboo, anal sex is a form of intimacy that can be enjoyed by people of all genders and sexual orientations.

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