Anal sex
The Art of Anal Intercourse dates back to ancient
times suggests that the practice of anal sex
stimulation of the anorectal area, including penile
penetration has been around for many centuries.
In fact, some might find it surprising how common
a practice it is among heterosexual couples
today. In one survey of 100,000 female readers
of Redbook magazine, 43 percent of the women
said they'd tried it with their partners at least
once. Of that number, 40 percent said they found
it somewhat or very enjoyable. (That is, about a
quarter of the total number of women surveyed
said this.) Forty-nine percent said they didn't care
for it, and 10 percent said they had no strong
feelings one way or the other. While not a
controlled scientific study, this survey roughly
parallels the findings of many other sexual
surveys.
Something else that may come as a surprise to
many: While a fair number of heterosexuals
engage in the practice, not all homosexuals do.
In a review of the existing data on the subject, the
Kinsey Institute concluded that between 59 and
95 percent of male homosexuals had engaged in
anal sex at least once.
In the age of AIDS, anal sex has received a lot of
bad press and for good reason. Unprotected anal
intercourse is the single most risky behavior in
terms of exposure to the dreaded disease. It
bears mentioning, however, that if neither you nor
your partner is already infected with HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus), you cannot get AIDS
from anal sex. This may seem self-evident, but in
a nationwide sex survey conducted by the Kinsey
Institute, half of the American adults questioned
said they thought you could get AIDS through
anal intercourse, whether or not one partner was
infected. This is simply not true.
What is true is that having anal intercourse with
an infected partner, without using a condom, is
the kind of sex behavior most likely to transmit
AIDS. That's probably because the sensitive
lining of the rectum is likely to tear during
intercourse, allowing AIDS-infected blood or
semen to pass directly into a sex partner's
bloodstream. In fact, the evidence for this mode
of AIDS transmission is so clear-and AIDS itself
is so scary-that doctors now recommend against
having anal sex with anybody, under any
circumstances.
If you insist on trying it anyway, take two
precautions: The vagina is naturally elastic and
moistened by its own natural lubricants, but the
rectum is not. Therefore, before attempting anal
penetration, it's important to use a waterbased
lubricant like K-Y Jelly. Also, before entering the
vagina after anal intercourse, be sure to
thoroughly wash the penis. Otherwise, it's likely
to transfer bacteria from the rectum, which may
cause vaginal infections.