Access All Areas A Guide to Safe Anal Sex
While most people think anal sex is a practice more common for gay men, there are also a hellova lot of straight men and women who enjoy it too! Research shows that up to 50% of women have tried anal sex at least once during their life, and it rates in the top ten (straight) male fantasies too! Despite the taboo nature of anal play and the misconceptions that it is painful, dirty or unsafe, it can be an extremely satisfying and a healthy part of your sexual repertoire (whether practised alone or with a partner). Anal play is also perfectly safe as long as you use common sense and follow some basic precautions.
But remember…having sex without lube is like driving a car without tyres. It’s just about possible, but you won't find it terribly comfortable, you might damage some key equipment, and you certainly won’t get anywhere very fast!
Good clean fun
The anal canal is usually very clean as faeces aren’t stored in this area; they’re stored further up in the rectum and bowel. But for comfort, make sure your bowels are empty. If you’d prefer to douche prior to playing, we’ve got a range of inexpensive and effective douches and enemas available for anal amateurs and officiardos alike. Check them out here:
Easing into anal
And remember, any type of anal penetration absolutely, positively needs lubrication because the rectum doesn't produce any natural lubrication of its own. You may therefore find a thicker lubricant most effective, possibly with a desensitiser in the formula. Water-based lube is generally the best choice for anal insertion because it won’t destroy latex or make condoms unsafe.
And if you prefer harder, deeper thrusting, for comfort without the loss of sensation we suggest a lubricant, spray or cream designed for more intense anal penetration, such as a comfort spray that takes the “hurt” out of hardcore.
Check out our range of specially formulated anal lubricants here:
If you’re with a new partner, or regularly use condoms as your contraceptive method, it's also a good idea to use a lubricated condom when engaging in backdoor play. Anal sex is a high-risk behaviour for the transmission of HIV, plus the extra lubrication will aid your entry, especially the first time. Always put a new condom on if you switch from anal to vaginal intercourse to prevent the spread of bacteria to the vagina and keep a stash of condoms handy when playing with anal toys as they make cleaning up after sex a breeze!