Anal sex

Anal sex, though often frowned upon is coming out of the closet. Men and women in recent times are often adventurous enough to be venturing into the act. Being an alternative for vaginal intercourse, it involves the process of insertion of the penis in to the anus.

People consider the option of engaging in anal sex for various reasons. Firstly, anal sex if not teamed with vaginal intercourse, minimizes the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Secondly, the anus being tighter than the vagina, the penis gets more tactile pleasure from the act. Anal sex is also popular because it does not tamper with a woman’s virginity, leaving the hymen in place.

Homosexuals resort to anal sex because the receiving partner experiences prostate stimulation. The prostate gland is located very near to the anal wall. The rubbing on the anal wall is often believed to lead to a typical kind of orgasm.

However, lack of proper sex education is believed to be casting shadows over the health hazards posed by the practice of anal sex. Truth is that there are several hazards involved in the process.

To begin with, lack of proper lubrication during anal sex may turn out to be immensely painful for the bottom partner. It poses a high risk of infections due to the harmful micro-organisms. There is also a risk of physical damage to the anus and the rectum due to their vulnerability.

Anal sex increases risks of being affected by HIV, HPV, E coli, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, syphilis etc. Anal sex highly increases anal cancer risks. Due to the highly infectious nature of the faecal matter, anal sex poses threats of transmission of HPV virus, responsible for anal cancer.

One of the functions of the rectum is to absorb fluid and it is also characterized by high concentration of white blood cells around it.
The HIV virus breeds in the T-cells of the immune system. Hence, anal sex is recognized as the most risky sexual behavior in the context of HIV transmission.

Anal sex may also cause anal incontinence. Regular anal sex or repeated abrasion and injury resulting from it may cause anal incontinence, that is, a loss of control over bowels. Thus, to conclude, people engaging in anal sex should acquire complete knowledge of the pros and cons of the act.