| Health issues Unprotected anal sex is an effective means of transmitting most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In particular, it is the sexual activity which most effectively transmits HIV, which can lead to AIDS. According to health-care professionals, condoms should always be used for anal intercourse, but they should not be considered an absolute safeguard. In principle, anal sex with anyone known to have a sexually transmissible disease, and indeed with anyone whose disease status has not been determined, should be avoided. HIV testing, however, is unreliable; many of those tested receive "false negatives". This advice applies to all sexual activity that effectively transmits STDs. Anal penetration carries some risks which vaginal sex or "outercourse" do not. These are mostly due to three factors: The rectum and large intestine, unlike the vagina, do not contain their
own lubricating mechanism, which means friction or insertion damage
can happen more easily. Also, the tissues in these areas are particularly
delicate and susceptible to tearing, and the intestine as a whole twists
and is much less strongly muscled and padded, which means physical injury
is somewhat easier too. This is especially the case when using sex toys,
because forceful insertion of large or sharp objects can damage or even
rupture it much more easily. Since the rectal tissues are so easily damaged, and since the anorectal muscles are largely under involuntary control, slow, gentle, and responsive insertion is necessary to avoid pain and tearing. In females, deeply penetrative anal sex must be attempted with care, because the female upper rectum passes adjacent to the uterus, which can experience physical trauma in cases of vigorous intercourse. It is also very important to be careful when inserting objects into the anus. Objects with edges or points can cause severe injury. Moreover, objects could get lodged in the rectum, requiring medical intervention; hospital records confirm how inventive human beings can be in discovering objects to insert into their rectums. For this reason, most modern dildos are made with flared bases. Additionally, nothing longer than eight inches (20 cm) should be inserted into the rectum without care and preparation. Objects forced more than seven or eight inches (17-20 cm) into the body risk colliding with the sigmoid colon, a twist in the intestine the lining of which is probably not much stronger than a wet paper towel, 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 contact the vagina, either externally or internally, without being thoroughly washed with soap or a similar disinfectant, to avoid infection caused by the transmission of bacteria or by feces becoming lodged internally. Condoms can be placed over sex toys and latex gloves can be worn to protect the hands and fingers. These should be used once and then discarded. Objects inserted in the anus should be washed carefully after every use. Shared sex toys can also transmit disease or infection, and should be thoroughly cleaned between use or be covered with a condom that is discarded between users. Silicone, metal and glass dildos may be sterilized via cleaning and boiling instead. (See masturbation for more information on the use of sex toys.) Like any form of sex, anal sex is rendered much more dangerous under
the influence of alcohol or drugs, which reduce responses, judgment,
and ability to pay attention to one's own needs.
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Anal Cross-dressing Sex group Human sexual behavior Masturbation |