Encyclopedia
Anal sex or
anal intercourse is a form of human sexual behavior. While there are many sexual acts involving the
anus, anal cavity, sphincter valve and/or rectum, the specific meaning describes the
insertion of the erect
penis into the rectum through the anus. The insertion of a sex toy or other object, the finger or the hand as well as the tongue counts as anal stimulation and is not considered anal sex. Anal sex may be performed in either a heterosexual or
homosexual context.
Overview
Although it is also practiced by heterosexuals and
bisexuals, anal sex is often associated with
homosexual men. However, like persons of other sexual orientations, some
homosexual and bisexual men enjoy sexual activities of this kind while others do not.
Due to the wide range of people who practice anal sex, the reasons that people have for practicing anal sex vary greatly. Some men and women report being able to reach orgasm from receiving anal sex, with or without simultaneous stimulation of their genitals . Generally, for women, pleasure is derived through anal intercourse due to the shared nerve endings that are located between the rectal wall and the vagina, and/or from indirect stimulation of the
G-spot. The anus itself contains many nerves as well, which can also react in a pleasurable manner when excited. Many males who have anal sex with a female partner cite the tightness of the anus.and.
Anal sex among heterosexuals
Edward O. Laumann's
The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States found that about 20% of heterosexuals have engaged in anal sex, and sex researcher
Alfred Kinsey found that number to be closer to 40%. More recently, a researcher from the
University of British Columbia puts the number of heterosexuals who regularly practice anal sex at between 30% and 50%.
In several cultures female receptive anal intercourse in a heterosexual context is widely accepted, especially as there is lower risk of unwanted
pregnancy via unprotected anal intercourse . Anal sex is even sometimes seen as preserving female
virginity, because it leaves the
hymen intact. Another reason is that the anus is considered to be "tighter" than the vagina , therefore yielding more tactile pleasure for the penis.
The taboo surrounding anal sex has its roots in supposed psychoses deemed to be responsible for such "deviation". Some argue that a male heterosexual attraction to the practice has a basis in patriarchal mythologies surrounding a fear of the vagina and suspicion of women's sexual enjoyment and appetites . Additionally, they argue that the appeal of anal sex to many male heterosexuals is a fetish of the taboo associated with feces and human waste, as well as of violence and domination, as anal sex practices can result in the bruising and tearing of tissue. To the contrary, educated psychologists might argue that the
avoidance of the anus is essentially human escapism, a facade whereby man denies his excretory functions, and that, ergo, the practicing of the act is merely a form of disillusionment. This view is supported by Ernest Becker's Pulitzer-winning
The Denial of Death. Moreover, the social taboo surrounding anal sex could be seen as an example of political and religious dogma affecting modern culture, whereby the taboo itself is materliased through the observance of religious morals, for example those of
Christianity.
From a utilitarian perspective it is argued that the anus is a highly sensitive area with erogenous potential, providing ample opportunity for sexual arousal; that anal sex is a natural permutation of human sexuality, little different from
oral sex or other noncoital contact; and that women can derive as much pleasure from the violation of taboos against non-traditional sexual practices as men can. Studies such as Kinsey have suggested that approximately 35-40% of women who have experienced anal sex find it pleasurable, though this figure may vary depending on many factors.
In many cultures, even those where female receptive anal intercourse is considered normative, male receptive anal intercourse, even in a heterosexual context, is seen as taboo, or as less common. In some cultures anal sex is so commonly linked with homosexuality that any male who engages in receptive anal intercourse is considered homosexual, even if he is penetrated by a female partner with a
sexual device or other things such as her hand, finger, or fist. In some cultures, only males who are penetrated by other males are considered homosexual, while males who penetrate other males are not.
In certain contexts male-male anal intercourse among males who otherwise identify as heterosexual is seen as a temporary behaviour to which they resort when confined in single-sex environments. Currently, such a situation is likely to be found only in prisons , but there is notable occurrence in boarding schools , and in the
armed forces . Some men have sex with men without categorising themselves as homosexual or bisexual.
Anal sex between male participants
In modern times in Western cultures, anal sex is popularly associated with
homosexual or
bisexual men. Studies claim that about 80% of homosexual men in the United States have engaged in anal sex.
Not all, however, regularly engage in anal sex or find it pleasurable. According to the Lauman study a significant minority never engage in it at all. The Corroborative studies in the urban men's health study and the Young Men's Study claim that only 50% of men surveyed engage in anal sex. Furthermore, the numbers in sexual surveys tend to reflect whether those surveyed have ever had anal sex or have had anal sex in the last year, not distinguishing between men who've simply tried it and men who regularly engage in it. Since data on homosexual and bisexual sexual behavior tend to arouse such controversy, it is difficult to draw reliable conclusions in this area.
While some male couples comprise an "active" partner and a "receptive" or "passive" partner this is not true of all gay/bi couples who practice anal sex: many gay or bisexual men have anal sex as both "top" and "bottom" at different times, also known as "versatile" or "switch."
Several gay slang terms, such as the ones described are generally reserved only for anal sex between two males.
Anal sex between female participants
Two women may have anal sex by using a
strap-on dildo.
Cultural issues
Eastern cultures
Historically, several cultures, such as
medieval Japan and others are known to have been normative practitioners of male-male anal intercourse, often in the context of a mentor-student relationship between an adolescent male and an adult man . Some claim that the males who participated in such relationships cannot properly be called
homosexual, arguing that in classical cultures such distinctions did not exist, and participation in these male-male relationships did not preclude sex with women.
Ancient cultures
The practice is thought to have been so common in
Ancient Greece that the term "Greek love" was used to refer to the practice, and in modern times, "Doing it the Greek way" is sometimes used as slang for anal sex. However, the view that homosexual anal sex was a commonly accepted practice in Ancient Greece is widely debated.
Pedarasty was an important part of society in Ancient Greece, as the bond between a young man and an older man was seen to help in his maturation. These relationships often included sex but not always. There are certainly many works of pottery and other art that display anal sex between older men and boys, as well as some depicting only adult men. Some literature has argued that the important social transgression was lowering oneself socially, that is, a high status person was not supposed to be penetrated by a lower status person, and thus passive anal intercourse by such men would have been frowned upon and considered a serious moral transgression. Much evidence exists that shows great tolerance for homosexual relationships, but it was generally expected that these relationships would not preclude heterosexual relationships, due to the need for procreation. How acceptable anal sex was may have varied depending on the time-period, as Ancient Greece spanned a long time. Male passive anal intercourse was frowned-upon in Rome, while playing the active role with a slave was acceptable. In fact the Romans thought of anal sex as something particularly "Greek". Others have argued that in Greece, rather than anal sex, male-male couples actually engaged in non-penetrative interfemoral intercourse. However, this view has been disputed. The historian K.J. Dover discusses these matters thoroughly in his classic work
Greek Homosexuality. Also disputed is the assertion that Greek courtesans, or
hetaerae, frequently practiced heterosexual anal intercourse as a means of preventing pregnancy.
In several cultures, notably Japan, records leave no question that male-male couples did engage in penetrative anal intercourse.
Evidence suggestive of widespread heterosexual anal intercourse in a pre-modern culture can be found in the erotic vases, or stirrup-spout pots, made by the Moche people of Peru; in a survey of a collection of these pots, it was found that 31 percent of them depicted heterosexual anal intercourse, more by far than any other sex act.
The 19th century anthropologist
Richard Francis Burton has theorized that there is a geographical Sotadic zone wherein male/male penetrative intercourse is particularly prevalent and accepted; moreover he was one of the first writers to advance the premise that such an orientation is biologically determined.
Western cultures
In many Western countries, anal sex has generally been thought taboo since the
Middle Ages when heretical movements were sometimes slandered by rumours that their members practiced anal sex among themselves. At that time the mainstream
Christian clergy was not celibate, but the highest orders of some heretical sects were, leading to rumours that their celibacy was a sign of their attraction to members of the same sex. The term
buggery originated in
medieval Europe as an insult used to describe the rumoured same-sex sexual practices of the heretics from the
Buggre sect. This sect originated in medieval
Bulgaria, where its followers were called
bogomils, but when they spread out of the country they were called
buggres .
Some medieval European woodcuts portray persons
kissing the anus of a goat-like figure, sometimes referred to as
Baphomet, representing the Christian
Devil.
As recently as 2003, several jurisdictions in the
United States had laws making anal sex and other forms of
sodomy a crime. Many of these statutes purported to prohibit anal sex by same-sex partners. In 2003,
John Lawrence and Tyron Garner brought a landmark suit that challenged as unconstitutional
Texas's anti-sodomy law before the
United States Supreme Court. Lawrence and Garner had previously been apprehended in Lawrence's home in the act of anal sex, after a neighbour had made a false noise complaint to the local police. The Supreme Court struck down the Texas law by a 6–3 vote. Five of the justices joined the deciding opinion, which overturned the Court's previous ruling on sodomy in
Bowers v. Hardwick. The Court reached the conclusion that the Due Process Clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the state from regulating private behaviours between adults without furthering a legitimate state interest. The governmental interest behind the law, "moral" objection to homosexuality, was held to not be a legitimate interest.
In Islam, Christianity, and Judaism
Anal sex is officially banned by most Islamic sects. Homosexuality between men is considered abnormal in many Islamic cultures. There are parts of the Qu'ran which talk about smiting on Sodom and Gomorrah, and this is usually considered to be banning homosexual male sex, and so there are
hadith and Islamic laws which prohibit it. There are no Islamic sects which consider it normal. Although most Christian denominations disapprove of anal sex, some believe it to be an acceptable part of human sexuality. Virtually all Christians confirm the importance of accepting and welcoming homosexuals into their communities and protecting their civil rights. But with regard to homosexual orientation and behavior from a religious point of view, some Christians condemn homosexual acts as sinful while others regard it as a natural, acceptable alternative. Orthodox Judaism teaches that homosexual anal sex is a sin, and toevah, based on the Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. However Judaism permits heterosexual anal sex, and the conservative, reform and reconstructionist branches of Judaism are more accepting of homosexuality.
Risks, safer sex and HIV
There is a high incidence of transmission of
Sexually Transmissible Infections through unprotected sex. Unprotected anal sex carries greater risks. The high concentration of white blood cells around the rectum, together with the risk of cuts to the rectum and that one of the functions of the rectum is to absorb fluid, increases the risk of HIV transmission because the HIV retrovirus reproduces within the immune system's T-cells/CD4 cells. Use of
prophylactics and other precautions are a medically recommended way to lessen risk of infection.
Condoms are alleged to be less effective and more prone to burst or slip during anal sex than vaginal sex. However, while one study estimates that condoms fail anywhere from 10% - 32% of the time during anal sex, SIECUS indicates a much lower failure rate of 0.5 to 12% .
Some manufacturers offer "extra strong" condoms designed specifically for anal intercourse. These condoms, while stronger, are usually not coated with spermicide and so offer less protection against pregnancy should semen enter a woman's vagina. However, since spermicide is an irritant to both the vagina and the anus, it can make contracting STDs easier for either partner, and can cause complications such as irritation, vaginal E. coli infection, and urinary tract infection. It can also damage the lining of the colon over time and should be avoided in condoms and lubrication.
During heterosexual anal intercourse, a penis that was in the anus should never be put into the vagina without either washing off the penis or changing the condom, as this can lead to vaginal infections.
Legal issues
The legal status of anal sex varies greatly between jurisdictions. From being completely open and legal, to being illegal for male to male participation, to only being legal in marriage or even totally outlawed. In some areas where anal sex may otherwise be legal and the participants are above the general
age of consent there exists a higher age of consent for anal sex.
References
External links and references
Further reading
- Bentley, Toni The Surrender: An Erotic Memoir, Regan Books, 2004.
- Houser, Ward Anal Sex. Dynes, Wayne R. , Garland Publishing, 1990. pp. 48-50.
- Morin, Jack Anal Pleasure & Health: A Guide for Men and Women, Down There Press, 1998.
- Taormino, Tristan Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, Cleis Press, 1997, 2006.
See also
