As more couples explore this type of sex, understanding the risks, rewards, and proper strategy is important. According to the Centers for Disease Control CDC , anal sex is primarily growing in popularity with couples under age You might think of anal sex as anal penetration with a penis, but you have a few more options. Anal sex can also be performed with fingers or the tongue. Sex toys , like vibrators , dildos , and butt plugs , are used too. It just requires more planning, prep, and communication than some other forms of sexual activity.

Does it hurt? Can you orgasm from it? Is everyone having anal regularly now? The truth: Not really. They can also choose to go up in size or down, depending on how their bodies respond.

If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. Anal sex is the practice of inserting the penis, fingers, or a foreign object such as a vibrator into the anus for sexual pleasure. With the appropriate precautions, anal sex is mostly safe. However, there are different potential risks that may not be present in vaginal or oral sex.

Let's just get right to it: Anal sex can be totally safe—and all taboos about it really need to go away like, yesterday. This is not a rare activity! While she says that research on the whole "is anal sex safe" question is limited, more than 20 percent of women ages 20 to 39 have had anal sex. That said, there are some factors that may get in the way of safe anal sex. There's certainly a risk of tearing, especially if you're new to anal sex.