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Whats anal sex? And what are all the risks of it?

Anal sex generally refers to anal intercourse, when a man puts his penis into another person’s anus. Some men and women enjoy anal sex, and others do not. Other kinds of anal sex include touching the anus with hands, fingers, or the mouth.

Because a woman’s anus is not connected to her reproductive system, a woman cannot get pregnant from anal intercourse. Like unprotected vaginal sex, unprotected anal sex is high-risk for many sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis, intestinal parasites, HIV, HPV, and syphilis. Use latex or internal condoms during anal intercourse to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Use Sheer Glyde dams or other plastic barriers to reduce the risk of infection when having other kinds of anal sex.

Besides using condoms, couples who have anal sex should follow a few simple guidelines:

The anus doesn’t usually produce enough lubrication for comfortable penetration, so it’s important to use plenty of lubricant. Only use water-based lubricants — like KY or Astroglide — with latex condoms. Go slowly, stop if anything hurts, and let your partner know how you feel — sex that’s painful or uncomfortable shouldn’t continue. Not everyone likes anal intercourse. So it’s okay if you don’t.

Tags: safer sex, anal sex

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