Thursday, January 18, 2007

Anal sex myths

Among all sexual practices that are allowed in polite conversation, anal sex is by far the least known and understood. There is still a thick layer of myths surrounding anal sex that obscure the simple facts and promote ideas and attitudes which should not belong in this century. Surveys show that one in four women has tried anal sex at least once and still many women refuse to even consider the idea of getting even more pleasure out of their bodies. Currently anal sex is struggling with the “red-headed step child” position inherited from oral sex, while moving slowly, but surely, toward mainstream recognition.

Is it dirty?

The most common myth about the anus is that it’s very dirty. We are all taught since our early years that the anus is a threat to our health and that any contact with it must be followed by a thorough washing. No wonder that many people reject anal sex without bothering to understand it. They are convinced that the anus is something irrevocably dirty that could never be involved in sex. However, a simple look around is enough to convince anybody that we’re living in an age where hygiene is better than ever. Anybody who follows the normal hygiene rules ought to have a clean anus. And one can always resort to an enema for extra cleaning.

“Anal sex causes hemorrhoids!”

Have you ever heard this? Many women believe that anal sex can cause hemorrhoids or worse: fissures and tears in the anus. This goes hand in hand with the myth that anal sex can cause incontinence. While it’s true that nobody wants to spend the rest of his or her life wearing adult dippers, it must be said that anal sex cannot cause incontinence. It doesn’t matter to your body whether things are going in or out of the anus. Anal incontinence is caused either by severe damage to the muscles and nerves or by the brain’s failure to control the body. None of this happens because of anal sex.

The idea of perverted act

Another huge objection to anal sex stems from the idea that it is a perverted act, an unnatural concept that has no place in the lives of decent people. Frankly, anal sex has been around for centuries and no, it wasn’t just something the Greeks did. This century does not have a monopoly on imagination and experimenting with one’s body and people from other cultures and other times had discovered long ago that anal sex is fine. The bottom line is that it’s your body and your decision. If you think anal sex is unnatural, then don’t do it.

“Anal sex is painful!”

Well, the anus is tight, which means that anal sex is bound to hurt a lot each and every time, right? Wrong. First, everyone who wants to try anal sex should educate him or herself about all its aspects in order to avoid pain. Lubrication and condoms should take care of the skin-on-skin friction, while patience will allow the anus to relax enough to receive a penis. Even a big one. More often than not, if anal sex hurts, you are doing something wrong. Probably not using enough lubrication or pushing too fast.

"Anal sex is something only homosexual do"

And finally, the last common objection is the idea that anal sex is something only homosexuals do. This is simply ridiculous. Across the centuries men and women have enjoyed anal sex without the slightest hint of homosexuality. Not to mention that many homosexuals simply refuse to have anal sex because they don’t like it. There is no link between anal stimulation and homosexuality. Ultimately, it all comes down to choices. If you don’t want to engage in anal sex, then don’t. Just be sure you’re making an informed decision instead of resorting to a knee-jerk reaction to something you don’t understand.

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