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THE BUTT OF THE JOKE: ANAL SEX MYTHS

By Eyeopener Staff

Anal sex is sweeping the nation.

Once the domain of sweaty, buff men plowing each other in the corners of bathhouses, ass-pounding is now moving to the mainstream.

In a survey of 100,000 women printed in Redbook magazine, 43 per cent had taken it in the caboose from their partner.

Of those, 40 per cent liked it. Despite this, not everyone is comfortable with the idea. In fact, some people think it’s always painful and that it will ruin the sphincter that holds your anus shut. That’s nonsense.

“It hurts if you’re doing it wrong, going too fast, not using lube,” says Carol Queen, a San Francisco-based writer, educator, speaker and activist with a doctorate in sexology.

Not only is anal sex pleasurable for both men and women, but it can actually make the anus stronger by exercising the muscles. Think about it — if stretching the anus makes it loose, why isn’t it loose after a lifetime of going to the bathroom?

She also refutes the myth that anal sex is gay. “Many gay men don’t have anal sex at all. The most common sex practice among gay men is probably fellatio. The anus doesn’t have a sexual orientation, which is why it’s possible for heterosexual men to be pleased anally by women partners.”

However, before you rush out to buy a strap-on or ram your cock up your sweetie’s rectum, there are a few things that you should know.

First off, anal sex is the most likely way to transmit HIV, and it can also get you another Sexually Transmitted Infection, such as genital warts, syphilis or herpes.

It’s imperative that you use a condom, keep your dick clean and try to know your partner’s sexual history.

Second, the ass is a sensitive place. In fact, Queen says that the mucus membrane that lines the rectum is more fragile than the vagina and it’s easy to rip it during a particularly rowdy fuck.

Your best bet is to use lube, not go too fast and stop if your partner says it hurts.

Last, but not least, spermicide can irritate the rectum, so be careful what condoms you buy.

Otherwise, the benefits of anal sex are many, and should be enough to entice anyone.

The anus contains many nerve endings and, like vaginal sex, it’s a form of exercise that keeps the pelvic area toned with a healthy blood flow.

And as for those prudes who refuse to jump on the anal express, Queen says the taboo of the act is part of what makes people want to check it out.

“Anal play can be hot and pleasurable,” she says. “If only all the people who are upset about certain kinds of sex knew they were really giving it PR.”

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