Women are increasingly suffering from various injuries and health problems as this type of sex popularized by porn – anal sex – becomes more popular among heterosexual couples, doctors warn.
Common problems include: fecal incontinence, sexually transmitted diseases, pain and bleeding when injured during anal sex.
Doctors Tabitha Gana and Lesley M Hunt emphasize that doctors do not discuss the dangers of anal sex with women, so, they say, a whole generation of women have no idea that this type of sex can cause long-term health problems. According to them, “anal intercourse is a risky activity because it usually involves alcohol, drugs and multiple sex partners”.
According to doctors, pop culture has moved anal sex from porn movies to artistic cinematography, TV series; for example, in Sex and the City, anal sex is presented as something spicy.
However, women are at greater risk than men during anal sex. “This creates a risk of faecal incontinence and can also damage the sphincter.” Due to differences in anatomy, hormones, and the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the pelvic floor muscles, the risk of faecal incontinence is greater in women than in men. “Women’s anal sphincter is less rigid, which increases the risk of injury during intercourse,” says an article published in the British Medical Journal.
The study conducted in Great Britain revealed – 16-24 y.o. heterosexual youth are increasingly engaging in anal sex, rising from 12.5 to 28.5 percent in recent decades. In the US, the practice of anal sex has increased from 30 to 45 percent.
According to T. Gana and L. Hunt, “anal sex is no longer seen as extreme behavior, on the contrary, it is praised as a pleasurable experience”.
According to these doctors, other doctors don’t warn women about the potential risks of anal sex because they don’t want to appear judgmental or homophobic.
The information provided by the British National Health Service on the risks of anal sex is incomplete, as it only mentions the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, but does not mention “anal injuries, faecal incontinence, let alone the psychological aspect of anal sex if the sex is forced”.
Dr. Claudia Estcourt, a member of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), supports the two doctors’ calls for any doctor to speak openly about anal sex. “BASHH supports the call for women to ask thoughtful, non-judgmental questions about anal sex if there are any concerns about anal health or other reasons.”
During health examinations, women will be asked questions about their most frequently used sex method, so that based on this information, symptoms and their causes can be analyzed and evaluated.