You Could Be Doing Real Damage To Your Body Long-Term By Having Anal Sex

If you're someone who engages in anal sex, whether it's because you're in a homosexual relationship or just because you like doing it, you might want to stop and think about what it could be doing to your body. The amount of people engaging in anal play is rising every day and researchers have been looking into the long-term effects of it. Some think that it could be pretty damaging in the long-term, others aren't so sure it's that bad. Let's take a look at the stats and see what's really going on down there!

The increase in butt play. Online searches within the U.S. for anal sex have increased 120 percent between the years 2009 and 2015. Not only that, but more people are testing out the activity in real life. The CDC's latest data reveals that 42 percent of men and 36 percent of women have tried anal at least once. Back in the 1990s, just 25 percent of men and one-fifth of women had done it.

Conflicting testimonies. Depending on who you ask, even within the medical field, you will get a very different answer on whether or not anal sex does serious harm to your body in the long run. Some say it most definitely does, while others say it doesn't do any more damage than your typical round of vaginal intercourse. So what's the truth?

Weakening of anal muscles. The most obvious side effect of engaging in frequent anal play is the weakening of your muscles in that area. Just like a woman vagina tends to get looser the more she has sex, the same kind of thing happens to your anal muscles. The difference is that the results in this case can be not so fun to deal with.

Incontinence. The weakening of anal muscles can lead to what's known as incontinence. Basically, what this means is you have less control over your bowel movements coming out of your rectum. You may experience the more frequent or sudden need to go to the bathroom after having anal sex regularly.

The results are hard to decipher. While incontinence does seem to be an issue amongst those who regularly have anal sex, there is a little flaw in this logic. Some doctors point out that just because a person who engages in anal sex experiences incontinence doesn't mean that anal sex is the cause for it. People who don't engage in anal also suffer from incontinence, though at lower rates.

Studies done on the subject. Studies done in the 1990's on the subject did find the weakening of anal muscles and a decrease in resting anal pressure to be prevalent in those who frequently had anal sex. However, various studies disagreed when it came to whether this was the direct link to incontinence or not.

Studies only recently started including women. For all of the homophobia there is still out there, it apparently still has a rival in the amount of sexism that's still out there. Case in point, women weren't involved in anal sex studies and research until very recently. A study done earlier this year finally included women in their testing. As a result, it was found that both women and men who frequently have anal sex do have higher rates of incontinence. (9.9 percent vs. 7.4 percent for women, 11.6 percent vs. 5.3 percent for men).

Micro-tearing. Another potential cause for concern is the issue of tearing. Obviously, the more forceful or rough you are during anal play, the more likely it is that you'll do some damage. However, what is most common is micro-tearing, which is just a series of very tiny tears along the inner muscular tissue.

Vaginal intercourse. However, most doctors don't see this micro-tearing as much of an issue, as it generally occurs with standard vaginal intercourse as well. Micro-tearing is a pretty natural occurrence and the small tears tend to heal themselves very quickly.

Prepare. Always remember that as with any type of intercourse, you have to be careful and make sure you use protection. The anus also doesn't provide it's own lubrication like the vagina does, so you're going to have to lube up before you start – and keep it handy!

Harder. Doctors have noted that if you use greater force during anal you are more likely to cause injury or pain to your partner. When it comes to anal, your best bet is to take it nice and easy. And never forget the lube!

Faster. Similarly, the faster your speed during anal play the more likely you are to cause unwanted damage. Start off slow and only increase the speed at small increments. Let your partner, the one who is receiving, tell you when it gets to be too much.

Hung jury. Could anal sex be doing long-term damage to your body? Yes. Does anybody really know with absolute certainty? No. Researchers are still very divided about the subject and it seems like more studies need to be done before more conclusive claims can be announced.

Do it to your comfort level. If you're going to engage in anal, keep in mind that it does have an element of risk to it. Because of this, you should be hyper aware of what's happening as it's happening and speak up if something feels wrong.

Use your own good judgement! You know your body. Odds are, you'll be able to tell when something is off or if your anal sex is having some kind of negative affect on you. If it seems to be harmful, you should either stop or do it less frequently. If you feel totally fine, then you know your own limits.