Despite there being a healthy renaissance for butt play in recent years, backdoor entry is still a deal-breaker for many women — a no-way, no-how, entirely off-limits scenario. Still, more than a third of women For some women, like me, anal sex can be a mind-blowing addition to the bedroom. Anal sex has always been a welcome precursor to vaginal penetration and other below-the-belt play. The key, for me, is to have a patient partner — one whom I trust. Oh, and plenty of lube. For me to engage in anal sex, I need to be fully relaxed, lubed, and ready.

Anal intercourse is a highly efficient mode of HIV transmission. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that anal intercourse is also widely practiced by women in the US 1 — 4. Given that anal intercourse is associated with higher rates of heterosexual HIV transmission than vaginal intercourse 10 — 13 , women who engage in unprotected anal intercourse with sexual partners of unknown or seropositive status may be at greater risk for acquiring HIV than women who do not practice anal intercourse or who use protection while doing so. Additionally, Halperin 1 found that women who engaged in anal intercourse were less likely to use condoms during anal intercourse than during vaginal intercourse. Most studies of heterosexual HIV transmission fail to distinguish between vaginal and anal intercourse in their assessments of coital acts, thus continuing to overlook anal intercourse as a potential source of HIV transmission.

Another study conducted by the University of Indiana asked questions on heterosexual anal sex and found that the percentage having anal intercourse within the past year demonstrated a similar age breakdown as that of the NSFG. Adolescents are also practicing heterosexual anal sex; and again, the prevalence increases with age. Are there health concerns regarding heterosexual anal intercourse? Of course — as with all types of sexual activity — there are both emotional and physical pitfalls.