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.

An Orgasm A Day For A Month – What Does It Do To Your Sex Life?

You know the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, the same thing goes for orgasms. Several studies have been done that prove women who have an orgasm at least once a day are much happier, less stressed out, and even get a better night’s sleep. Here, one woman decided to put these facts to the test by challenging herself to give herself an orgasm a day, for one month straight. Fortunately, the results were far better thane expected.

Challenge. Lisa Fogarty writes via Marie Claire about the results of her month long challenge to try and give herself one orgasm a day. She’s always considered herself someone willing to try almost anything, so she welcomed this challenge with open arms.

Research. After doing research, Fogarty writes that she discovered having an orgasm a day was proven to improve a person’s sex life, reduce anxiety, etc. There was essentially, no downsides to trying it out. The only thing was, finding the time to do it. As a mother of two, it wasn’t going to be easy, but she was determined.

Schedule. "Given my situation, the first challenge I experienced when trying to have one orgasm a day was that I had to make it happen after the kids went to bed at 8 p.m. No matter how tired I felt or whether I would have rather been binge-watching Mr. Robot and nursing a glass of Kahlúa, I faithfully stuck to my schedule,” writes Fogarty, via Marie Claire.

Fantasies. But sticking it out proved to be one of the best decisions Fogarty would ever make. When she first started out, one of the things she had the most trouble with was trying to put herself in the mood by coming up with different scenarios in her head. But after a few days of trying, she had come up with multiple fantasies that she used to get off.

Scenarios. "The more I focused on those series of images, the more I opened myself up to including other tantalizing subplots. Before I knew it, I had about 10 sexy scenarios from which to choose before settling in and shooting for an orgasm,” writes Fogarty.

Intensity. During her challenge, Fogarty learned that the intensity of her orgasms varied based on what time of the month it was. She claims that the best orgasm she had throughout the entire challenge happened on the day before her period, and the ones she had during her period, although not as intense, helped relive her cramps.

Benefits. "I did not experience one millisecond of menstrual cramping the month I got myself off daily—a rarity—nor did I have one sleepless night. No matter what stress I encountered that day, it melted away the second I experienced orgasm. In fact, I was able to channel my anger one night into one of the most pleasurable orgasms I had this month, thus proving angry solo sex is a thing,” writes Fogarty.

Husband. The only time Fogarty ever had doubts about the challenge was when it came to telling her husband. Initially, she didn’t want to let him in on what she was up to because then he’d be curious to know why despite the fact that they had sex often, she still had to masturbate once a day.

Warm up. "But what I found was that having an orgasm on my own only made me feel more ready to have sex with him—like, minutes after. I found myself not wanting as much foreplay because I had already taken care of warming myself up—I just wanted to get to the main event. In a way, I was a lot more 'all business' about sex after masturbating,” writes Fogarty.

Sex. Essentially, masturbating before sex only made Fogarty more excited about sex and prepared her for an enjoyable night with her husband. As a result, Fogarty and her husband were having sex more often and felt an even deeper connection than ever before.

Expectations. "Sex became a thing I expected, and not a thing my husband and I both wanted but were sometimes too drained to experience. And frequent orgasms have now gone from an experiment to a health, wellness, and relationship necessity,” writes Fogarty.

The end. Fogarty managed to complete the entire month long experiment, but says that now she doesn’t continue to masturbate once a day due to the fact that it;s exhausting and finding the time to do it every day can be hard. However, she maintains she continues to give herself some self love at least four times a week, which is still pretty impressive.

Priority. "Now, I'm masturbating more than I was before—about four times a week—and I'm finding that's just enough to remind me that I should make being sexual a priority because it simply makes me feel happier and more relaxed,” writes Fogarty, via Marie Claire.

Success. All in all, the experiment only further proved what experts and studies have already proved— that having one orgasm a day really does improve your life significantly. Go ahead, give it a try and find out for yourself!

You. Do you find that masturbating often affects your life on a daily basis? Have you noticed any difference? Share your experiences with us!

Sex, Drugs, And Recovery: How Life Between The Sheets Changes When You Quit

If you've had sex while high on an illegal substance before, or if you've heard testimonial from anyone who has, you probably know that it can feel pretty damn amazing. However, the consequences of drugs and sex on drugs can very much negatively outweigh the positives. Sure, it will feel incredible for a little while, but according to a recent study, it can leave you feeling broken, sexually fearful, and confused once the excitement has worn off. Reintegrating into society and into a life without drugs is hard in general, but what people don't necessarily talk about enough is how hard it can be to find a sexually fulfilling life when you become sober.

The study was specifically tailored to women. A study that was recently published in a journal called Sexualities examined the sex lives of women who had once been addicted to drugs and became sober. At the time of the interviews, all of the participants were sober. There were 16 heterosexual women, all of whom ranged in age from 26 to 55. The drugs these women specifically had been using in the past few years were either heroin or amphetamines. They had been using for anywhere between three and 35 years.

Rules and expectations. When interviewed, many of the women answered that they didn't quite know the rules and expectations of "normal" sex as compared to the sex they were used to having in their drug lifestyle. Not only was it a different physical experience, but it was a different social experience.

Pre-sex and post-sex. The women said that it wasn't only the act of sex that posed a problem for them, either. Pre-sex and post-sex rituals were very different in sober life as compared to in a life of drugs. If you're a druggie, you're used to shooting up or doing your drug of choice before and after sex. When you become sober, you're not quite sure what to do.

Increased sexual pleasure when on drugs. As expected, the women reported that they experienced increased sexual pleasure while on drugs, most notably amphetamines. However, before you go thinking that it's time to try sex on amphetamines, we've got some news for you. It's not all rainbows and sunshine.

Higher self-esteem on drugs. The participants of the study also noted that they experienced higher self-esteem while having sex on drugs. They felt more liberated and like they also had a greater sense of agency over their bodies. You don't have to be a hardcore addict to know what that feels like. Anyone who has had sex while drunk before knows that substances lower your inhibitions and make you feel better about yourself.

Exciting on drugs. And of course, the participants reported that sex was initially much more fun and exciting while on drugs. The adventure, however, only lasts for so long. The incredible feeling of sex on drugs eventually plateaus and can't be matched. That's when you start getting into a sexual problem.

But like all highs, sex on drugs soon lost its luster. Everyone knows that once you get high, it takes more and more each time to surpass or even match that initial feeling. The same goes for sex on drugs. Eventually, these women said that they became kind of numb to the amazing sex and it became very mechanical and lifeless.

Shame. Once they recovered and sobered up, the women said they began to experience feelings of shame of their past drug-involvement. They felt as though it at least partially ruined their sexuality and their ability to perceive sexual pleasure. The hardest part about recovery can be dealing with those feelings of shame.

Feeling damaged. Some women confessed that after becoming sober, they felt damaged when it came to sex. Having sex on drugs was fun at the time, but now they're afraid of what the difference in experience will be like now that they've returned to "normal" life. They're afraid that they won't be able to enjoy it.

Some suffered abuse. Unsurprisingly, some women reported that they suffered rape or other kinds of sexual abuse when they were under the influence. It's hard to say no when you've got a system full of amphetamines or heroin. Not only do the drugs make it difficult to regain a normal sex life when they become sober, but the memories of assault and forced sex do, too.

Their past made them fearful for their future. Whenever a person emerges from a traumatic event such as sexual abuse or drug problems, it can create anxiety for the future. Even when sober, a person can be afraid of running into similar negative situations that they encountered when they did while they were having sex during their drug phase.

Unsure of how to navigate a drug-free sex life. When people are addicted to drugs, that becomes virtually all they know. Not only do the substances take control, but the drug culture does as well. It can be difficult for a person in recovery to learn to navigate the rules of everyday social situations and sexual encounters when they've been out of touch with it for so long.

How to incorporate sexual recovery into addiction recovery. This is still a topic that remains relatively unexplored. We know that drug addiction affects sexual behavior, but psychologists are as yet unsure about how to effectively heal those wounds. It will definitely be paid further attention in future research efforts.

Leave morals out of it. The lead author of the study, Anette Skårner, is a professor of social work at the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden. According to her, the best way to approach the topic of sex when it comes to recovering from drug addition is to leave morals out of it. These women are already dealing with notions of shame. Imposing your morals on them won't help.

Distorted view of men and relationships. Many women said that their experience with sexual activity while on drugs left them with a distorted view of men and relationships, so much so that some swore off men and sex for a very long time. Recovery is a process that takes a long time and a lot of effort and adjustment. Adjusting to your new sexual life post-drugs is part of that. Even if you feel damaged, fearful, or like your perspective has been messed up because of what you've experienced, you can reach a state where you can be comfortable with sex again.

How Marijuana Use And Alcohol Really Affects Your Sex Life

If you like to drink or smoke before you have sex, join the club.  Either one is pretty much the go-to jumpstart for most sexual experiences, but each one has very different effects (if you haven't already noticed).  According to a study, the way that pot and alcohol affects your sex life has been pretty much confirmed.  Now, just be warned that after reading this, it may have a bit of an impact on your pre-sex routines.  It might convince you to do one over the other.  So keep reading to learn more about how pot and alcohol really affects your sex life.

Smoking and drinking. When we party, it’s not uncommon to get especially horny. Why else would night’s out on the town end up with one-night-stands so often? Whether we’re drinking or smoking the reefer, these substances get us feeling loosey-goosey and ready to get it on. But how are these substances really affecting us?

Knowing more. To better understand how weed and alcohol affects our bodies when it comes to having sex, some researchers at New York University’s Center for Drug Use and HIV Research got their hands dirty to figure it out. According to VICE, they were able to get the information that so many of us have been dying to know.

The volunteers. Researchers got a hold of 24 volunteers to get the ball rolling. They ranged from ages between 18 and 35, and they all, in some way or another, had experiences with sex, weed and alcohol. Though not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily including all three at once.

Risky business. The main thing you want to focus on when it comes to having sex is how risky your behavior is. Are you being careful? Are you considering the consequences of your actions? These aren’t the sexiest issues, but they’re important, and the effects of weed and alcohol have varying effects.

Sexy time. For most people, when they want to have sex (especially when it has to do with a one-night stand), there’s usually some kind of substance involved. It’s either liquid courage or a courage inhalant, and it turns out one may be better than the other.

Smoking. If you prefer to smoke before you have sex, then you should feel comforted in knowing that you’re less likely to engage in risky situations. When you smoke, you’re more in control of what you’re doing, and as a result, you’re not as likely to screw yourself over.

Familiar faces. When you smoke, there’s a much higher chance that you’ll end up hooking up with people you already know. So when you wake up with them (assuming they slept over), it’ll be a lot less, “What the f*ck happened last night?” and a lot more “We should get food.”

Getting it on. According to the study, the fact that marijuana is illegal actually has some benefits to your sex life. It seems odd, but the fact that you have to essentially find places that are more cut off from the public eye put you at a better chance of getting laid.

Happy with the outcome. When you smoke and then have sex, no matter how f*cked up you may be, there’s a solid chance you won’t regret what you did as much as you might were you blackout drunk. You’re in a better mental state, and therefore in more control of what you’re doing.

The downside of alcohol. Now, if you’re not a big smoker, then drinking may be more up your alley. It’s perfect for getting yourself loosened up, but aside from that, there are some major issues you may find yourself running into. So you’ll want to be careful.

Drunk AF. When we’re drunk, we’re hardly paying attention the choices we’re making. We’re stumbling, tripping over our own feet, paying for shots we can’t afford and yet, because we’re human, we’re still horny. So, really, the combination does not mix well.

WTF happened last night? When you’re drunk (and you most likely don’t need the results of a study to tell you this), you make choices that you really wish you wouldn’t have made. The alcohol is screwing with your judgment in such a way that you might end up hooking up with someone you would probably never in a million years even consider talking to while sober.

The connections. Seeing as alcohol has taken quite a few hits, it’s about time we give you drinkers out there some good news. It turns out that when you smoke or drink, you’re going to experience a very different kind of connection with your partner.

The drunk connection. Have you ever noticed that your drunk sex tends to be pretty insane? There’s a reason for this. When you’re drunk, you’re more likely to have sex that is far kinkier than you’re used to having while sober. So that’s definitely a plus.

The stoned connection. When you’re stoned, there’s a still a chance you can be kinky, but it’s not really part of the deal. If you smoke before having sex, then there’s a much more likely chance that you’ll be more emotionally connected to your partner. So, there’s more passion involved with stoned sex.