Ass, Ass, Ass, Ass: All About the Anus

Anal August is here and if you haven’t heard of it before it is a month about all things anal play, who doesn’t love that. I particularly love this month, because I feel like anal gets a bad reputation because there is not enough education about it. The anus is like the final sexual frontier for most people, something they avoid because they have only ever heard horror stories and bad experiences, but that is not inherent to anal play. That’s why I’m here talking about in this blog and all month long with my sex ed content, because with more knowledge I think more people would find pleasure rather than pain in anal play.

Mini Anatomy Lesson on the Anus

To have enjoyable anal play you have to better understand the anus, so let’s do a quick little anatomy lesson shall we. There are really two important parts of the anus: the sphincters that everyone needs to know and understand. These are the muscles that have to be relaxed before penetration of the anus happens or else you will find yourself experiencing pain rather than pleasure.

The sphincters can be relaxed by massaging them gently. You can relax the external sphincter by massaging the rim of the anus and the internal sphincter can be massaged by slowly circling a finger within the tip of the anus. You only need to go about the first portion of your finger before the line. The other part of the anus to understand is where it goes from the anus to the rectum. You will feel a change in the way things feel. The rectum connects to your intestines, which means that they go on for a while, which is why you can penetrate further with anal play than vaginal penetration.

The last part of the anus anatomy to know is the prostate, which is typically found in people assigned male at birth (AMAB). It is a walnut-sized organ that can be stimulated externally or internally by penetrating the anus. The prostate is referred to as the male G-spot because it is known to provide immense amounts of pleasure when stimulated. 

How to Prep & Clean for Anal Play

Now that you understand the parts of the anatomy we need to talk about prep and cleaning for anal play. If you know you are going to engage in anal play and want to minimize mess, there are a few things you can do to prepare. The first is drinking your water. This may seem unrelated, but being well hydrated helps you sexually in a multitude of ways, it also makes it easier to regularly go to the bathroom. The other thing you are going to want to do is to stop eating and drinking three hours before you plan to engage in some anal fun. This is so that your body can digest everything you have eaten throughout the day so you can clear your system. The next thing is going to be taking a dump. You have to shit out all the food you have eaten and digested.

Now when it comes to cleaning you are going to want to take a shower and wash your ass so good! I mean shining like the top of the Chrysler building good. If you are more comfortable with anal play and the realities of potential poo, you can stop at just the shower with a deep clean of your butt. But if you want a little more confidence in your cleanliness then you may want to consider douching or an enema for your anus. Using a douche or enema clears out what is remaining in your anus and rectum so you can enjoy penetration with little to no worries. When using an enema or douche you are going to want to use room temp water. I also suggest applying lube to the insertable portion to make it easier to insert. If you are new to anal play go for a smaller tip on the enema or douche. I also suggest doing this before getting in the shower and over the toilet to minimize clean up for yourself. 

Things to Remember

Now there are three big things to remember when it comes to anal play. The first is that the anus is not self-lubricating so you are going to want to make sure you use lube for any and all anal activities. I recommend water-based lube because it can be used with all toy materials and can be reactivated with water or saliva. 

The second thing to remember is that if there is no flared base then it should not go in your ass. As I said earlier, the anus connects to the rectum which connects to the intestines, which means that if you put something in your anus without a base then it can continue to move through the rectum into the intestines and then you will have to go to the hospital to have it removed and no one wants that.

The last thing to remember when it comes to anal play is to take your time. It may seem like people are able to put giant things up their butt because of porn and the internet, but everyone had to work their way up. The anus is a sensitive and fragile part of the body, so you have to take your time anal training and working your way up to more when it comes to anal play.

Different Types of Anal Stimulation

So now that you understand the anus, the prep and cleaning, and important things to remember what can you do for anal stimulation? If you are looking for solo play you can stipulate the rim of the anus with your finger or explore butt plugs and anal beads. If you are wanting to explore partnered anal stimulation rim jobs, where someone engages in oral sex on the anus, or remote-controlled anal toys are a great option.

If you really want to dive deeper into anal stimulation you can register for my workshop this month: All About Ass! I will be doing three separate in-person workshops as well as a virtual workshop. You can register for the LA, DC, and virtual workshops HERE and the Eugene, OR workshop HERE (scroll down to August 24).

Toy Recs for Anal Play

If you need some guidance on picking toys for anal play check out this month’s episode of Toy Talk on Youtube. I also have four product recommendations as well.

Anal Training Kit & Education Set: This is a great option for folks completely new to anal play. You get all the products you need to be set up for success. You get three different-sized butt plugs, an enema bulb, a lube shooter, and a booklet with information about anal training and anal play.

Vibrating Heart Plug: If you like to look cute and feel good then the vibrating heart plug is perfect for you. You can live your sexy Barbie fantasies with this plug.

Stainless Steel P-Spot Training Set: If you are a little more adventurous this set is calling your name. It works well for temperature play, meaning you can cool them down or heat them up for anal play. All you have to do is pop them in the freezer or submerge them in hot water.

Swirl Textured Plug: For those that like to experience a lot of different things the swirl plug is a good choice as it combines vibration stimulation with textured stimulation.