The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women (29 page)

There is no cure for AIDS; however, there have been many advances in the treatment of the disease. With various combinations of prescription medications, people with HIV and AIDS are living longer, healthier lives now than in the past.

Many people assume that if you regularly engage in anal sex as the receptive partner, you are more likely to develop an anal ailment or disease. Myths abound about people having their rectums “stretched out” to the point of incontinence. As long as you practice safe, gradual anal penetration, you will not lose control of your bowels, no matter how often you do it. In fact, the opposite can be true: people who get buttfucked can have healthier asses than those who don’t! It may sound surprising, but consider the facts: as you learn to relax and use your pelvic and sphincter muscles, you are exercising and toning them, just like any other muscle. Plus, the more awareness you have of those muscles and the more you practice relaxing them, the less likely you are to have recurring anal tension, difficult bowel movements, or problems like straining. During anal play, blood rushes to the area during arousal; this increases circulation, which is an important component for good anal health. The more you pay attention to your butt, the less alienated and anxious you will feel about it, so if something doesn’t feel right, you’ll be more likely to seek treatment sooner. With all that said, it is important to know about some of the common symptoms and ailments that involve your ass.

After the food you eat passes through the digestive tract and your body has absorbed almost all the nutrients, what’s left over enters the colon from the small intestine. The colon contracts to move the matter through as it absorbs nearly all the water from it; these contractions are controlled by nerves, hormones, and electrical activity in the colon muscle. After the water has been absorbed, what remains is the stool, which separates into segments, moves into the descending colon, then moves into the lower colon and rectum. The walls of the rectum expand, signaling to your brain
that it’s time to go to the bathroom. If you don’t have a bowel movement right away or if the colon’s contractions are slow, the colon continues to absorb more water from the stool. If it absorbs too much water, the stool becomes hard and compact and splits into smaller pieces. This causes constipation: difficult or painful bowel movements that may be accompanied by bloating and discomfort. The most common causes of constipation are not enough fiber in your diet, dehydration, lack of exercise, and stress; it can also be caused by pregnancy, certain medications, and old age. Mild constipation usually rectifies itself or can be alleviated by the use of natural remedies or over-the-counter laxatives. Chronic constipation may be a sign of a more serious problem.

If you are constipated, chances are you don’t feel like having something in your ass, but know that anal penetration does not cause, nor should it exacerbate, constipation. In fact, some medical professionals admit that anal play may in fact help to “move things along.” Remember that the contractions of the pelvic muscles experienced during anal sex are similar to the contractions during a bowel movement (that’s why sometimes when you’re penetrated you feel like you have to go). Anal stimulation may help the rectum relax, and repeated anal sessions may improve circulation and decrease tension in the entire area.

As waste moves through the colon, if the colon does not absorb the majority of the water, you have the opposite of constipation, which is diarrhea: loose or runny stools. They may be accompanied by cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and fever. Acute diarrhea (diarrhea that lasts for a short time) is most often caused by a bacteria, virus, or parasite getting into your digestive tract and inhibiting the colon’s ability to absorb water. Most people come into contact with it from uncooked, undercooked, or spoiled food. You can be exposed to it through food that has been contaminated with fecal matter by food handlers who didn’t properly wash their hands after going to the bathroom. You can also come into contact with a bacteria, virus, or parasite in someone’s fecal matter through anal contact, specifically rimming or ass-to-mouth play: transferring a cock that’s been in someone’s ass directly to his or her mouth. Intestinal disease or conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome can also cause chronic diarrhea, which is not related to an infection and therefore cannot be passed person to person.
If you have diarrhea, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated. Diarrhea should go away on its own without special treatment, although you can use over the counter products to treat symptoms. If it lasts for more than three days and is accompanied by a high fever or bloody stools, you should see a doctor.

While anal penetration doesn’t cause diarrhea, it can sometimes make your body more susceptible to loose or runny bowel movements. After a vigorous round of anal penetration complete with plenty of lube, some of the lube will be absorbed by the body, but the rest of it will come out in the toilet. Rarely, but for some people, anal penetration can stimulate an early bowel movement; by early, I don’t mean right there in the middle of things. But soon after sex, you’ll feel the need to expel. Since the bowel movement is premature, the colon has not had a chance to absorb all the water before the stool moves into the rectum, and this will cause diarrhea. In both cases, you should be back to normal within twenty-four hours.

Hemorrhoids are the most common of all anal ailments, and it is estimated that nearly half of all adults have them by the age of fifty. Hemorrhoids occur when blood vessels in the anal canal or around the anus fill with blood and form tiny sacs that become swollen and inflamed. This engorgement is caused by pressure on the vessels, which can happen as a result of constipation, straining, or diarrhea. Hemorrhoids can also be caused by pregnancy, sitting or standing for long periods of time, and even heavy lifting. Hemorrhoids can be internal or external, and may cause itching, swelling, discomfort, bleeding, and pain. External hemorrhoids are those found just inside the anal opening; as the blood vessels swell, they can actually protrude during bowel movements or become so large that they protrude all the time. If a blood clot forms, a hard bump can be created and be very painful. The most common symptom of an internal hemorrhoid is bleeding: bright red blood in your stool or on the toilet paper when you wipe.

The treatment for hemorrhoids depends on their severity. In mild cases, the body heals itself, symptoms go away in a few days, and the hemorrhoid shrinks. If the hemorrhoid is a result of the diet, adding more fiber helps regulate bowel movements. Most people use over-the-counter creams and ointments and take warm baths to relieve symptoms. There are also many herbal and homeopathic remedies, including aloe vera and
slippery elm (taken orally or used topically). If you have chronic or painful hemorrhoids, you should see a doctor. There are several kinds of treatments to shrink or remove more serious hemorrhoids. In rubber band ligation, a band is placed around the base of the hemorrhoid, it is deprived of blood, and it dies and falls off. Chemical injections and laser treatments are used to shrink hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids may also be surgically removed, but that is only recommended in very severe cases.

Anal penetration does not cause hemorrhoids; however, it may irritate them, especially if you don’t use enough lube or you rupture a blood-filled vessel. The general rule is to listen to your body—if you are having a flare-up and experience itching or discomfort, you may want to take a break from anal play until symptoms subside. Going in is often fine, but coming out can be much more irritating , especially to external hemorrhoids. If that’s the case, you may want to opt for a butt plug or more gentle motion rather than lots of in-and-out action. I’d also recommend using smooth toys versus those with balls, ridges, bumps, and other stimulating textures.

An anal fissure is a cut in the tissue of the anus, anal canal, or rectum. Fissures are usually the result of some kind of trauma to the ass—like penetration without lubrication or proper warm-up. Penetration with a sex toy with rough edges or seams (common in cheaply made toys), digital penetration with a jagged fingernail, or severe constipation can also cause a fissure. The lining of the anal canal and rectum is delicate and even with the most gentle touch, sometimes we can tear the tissue slightly and not even know it or feel any pain. Most fissures are internal and therefore not visible; the symptoms are pain and minor bleeding. If you suspect you have a fissure, you should give your ass a vacation from penetration and other play until your symptoms subside, both to help it heal and because lube will likely irritate it. Your body should heal itself without treatment, although you may want to take warm baths or use witch hazel wipes if the cut is external. If your symptoms last for more than a few days, you should see a physician.

At the first sight of blood coming from their asses, most people become alarmed. It’s only natural. If you see a small amount of bright red blood in the toilet after a postsex bowel movement or on the tissue when you wipe yourself, chances are there is no real cause for panic. If, however, there is more than just a little blood, the blood is dark red or brown, the
bleeding persists for more than a few days, or you have other symptoms with the bleeding, then you should see a doctor. Bleeding and blood in the stool can be a symptom of more serious diseases, including ulcers, gastritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, polyps, diverticulitis, anal fistula, an abscess, or a sexually transmitted infection.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects how the colon works. As discussed previously in this chapter, in a healthy person, food is digested and nutrients are absorbed by the body, then the remaining matter enters the colon where most of the water is absorbed. For people with IBS, the colon seems to be more sensitive to food, stress, and other elements. As a result, it may contract (and move matter through it) too fast or too slow and thus absorb too much or too little water. People with IBS experience chronic bouts of constipation or diarrhea or both and have a range of symptoms associated with those conditions, including cramps, bloating, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and fatigue.

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in five Americans has IBS, and it affects women much more than men. IBS can be treated in several ways: with changes in diet, exercise, and stress reduction; with over-the-counter or prescription medications that treat constipation and diarrhea; or with a combination of these. There is no cure, nor one kind of treatment.

If you have IBS, chances are you’re pretty in touch with the nuances of your bowel movements. When symptoms are at their worst, anal sex is probably the last thing on your mind. IBS does not prevent you from having a fulfilling anal sex life, it may just cause it to be a less frequent one. The guidelines for constipation and diarrhea apply to those with IBS as well. Listen to your body: if it feels okay, then you’re not doing any harm. Also talk to your doctor about his or her recommendations.
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The better your ass feels, the more likely you’ll want to engage in anal play; that’s a no-brainer, right? Well, our asses can say a lot about our overall health, too. If we are overworked, tense, exhausted, nervous, tired, depressed, or sick, our butts will often manifest these states by being out
of whack. Symptoms may disappear as we exercise, eat well, decrease stress, and achieve better balance in our lives. Or they may not go away on their own and be the sign of something serious. Listen to your body, use common sense, and see your doctor if you are concerned.

 

NOTES

1
“Genital Herpes,” by Jon Knowles (1989), updated by Jennifer Johnsen and Jessica Davis (December 2004),
www.plannedparenthood.org
.