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Despite anecdotal evidence regarding the potential for pleasure from anal play, it remains a taboo subject in the context of female sexuality. This partly stems from the fact that we often associate anal pleasure specifically with anal sex, namely anal penetration of a penis, which can be a daunting proposition for a woman who has never experimented with any sort of anal stimulation.
But what if we looked at anal play as just as varied as the different flavors of ice cream and numerous options for toppings on an ice cream sundae??
Prior to their first experience with vaginal intercourse, most women experiment with other forms of vaginal and clitoral stimulation – be that masturbation, fingering, or oral sex with a partner – so why don’t we consider the potential for anal stimulation to be just as diverse and gradual?
To compound the issue, the research surrounding anal pleasure for women is influenced by this same preconception that anal pleasure = anal sex. Without scientific literature exploring the complexities of anal pleasure, women and their partners instead have to rely on adverse-outcome focused literature, what they see in the media, or in the male-focused representation of anal sex in porn. The discussions are framed by highlighting the potential “risks” of anal sex, for example: STIs, pain, social stigma, and shame. The common misconception is that anal sex is something women simply tolerate for the sake of their partner, rather than something they can wholeheartedly enjoy.
Let’s debunk this misconception! From an anatomical standpoint, it’s easy to see how the location of the anus alone makes it a highly pleasurable sex organ. It contains a dense network of sensory nerves, which participate in sexual arousal during the engorgement, muscular tension, and contractions of an orgasm. So, if the potential for anal stimulation is supported by anatomy, they why isn’t anal play more ubiquitous in our discussions of female sexuality? For one thing, many people lack the knowledge and terminology to even broach the subject with their partners.
Do we as OTs ask about anal pleasure?
Might we ever suggest it to a client who would benefit from or is curious to explore erogenous zones?
OT professionals can acknowledge that anal pleasure is just as subjective, varied, and expansive as vaginal/clitoral pleasure. In other words, we need to reframe the question from whether a woman enjoys anal play and instead ask how she does.
Are you asking yourself, how would I ever talk about this with my clients? Well what if there was a language we could use to explain the technique…
A cross-sectional, nationally representative online survey known as the second OMGYES Pleasure Report asked women about their sexual behaviors, sexual attitudes, relationships, sexual satisfaction, and experiences, including whether they have ever participated in three previously unnamed, but distinct, anal touch techniques: Anal Surfacing, Anal Shallowing, and Anal Pairing.
- Qualitatively, Anal Surfacing – sexual touch around the anus with a finger, penis, or sex toy – was reported to be the medium by which many women discovered that anal touch can be pleasurable.
- Anal Shallowing is a less invasive form of penetration when compared to anal sex, performed either by the tip of a finger or a partner’s tongue.
- Finally, Anal Pairing involves anal pleasure in conjunction with vaginal or clitoral stimulation, as a medium to enhance sexual arousal.
Making these three distinctions in the form of a qualitative survey is crucial, as it acknowledges that anal pleasure can be a gradual sensory processing experience. OT professionals can also understand anal pleasure using a sensory processing perspective. People can feel different feelings from anal pleasure that they may prefer or not prefer. For example, among many: stretching, fullness, heaviness, openness, teasing, tickling, relaxing.
Preference for anal play has the potential to evolve for women, making the question more complex than simply, “Do you enjoy anal sex - yes or no?” It provides women with the agency to describe their sexual preferences, in terms of how, with what, and why they find anal play pleasurable. For example, “I don’t like anal sex, but I love having the external area licked or touched when paired with clitoral stimulation.”
It should be noted that the vast majority of the women surveyed for this study (91.2%) identify as heterosexual and only 21.6% responded that they are not married or partnered. That said, the data suggest the potential for anal pleasure for women is more prevalent than we might think, based on what we have previously known from limited research or popular opinion.
According to this survey:
- 40% of women find Anal Surfacing pleasurable
- About 35% of women have experienced pleasure using Anal Shallowing
- 40% of women utilize Anal Pairing to increase the pleasurable experience of other forms of sexual touch.
Overall, the biggest factor to a woman’s likelihood of engaging in anal play is not a lack of arousal potential or a universally unpleasurable sensory response. Rather, it may be the case that many women aren’t interested in it, because they don’t think it can be pleasurable for them due to the above-mentioned stigmas.
As OT professionals, we must be prepared to conduct activity analysis on all sexual activities including anal play. If this feels like it would be difficult, consider the following suggestions:
- We always need to seek extra clarification from our clients about what they do sexually. If you aren’t sure what the anal play looks like that they do, ask them to further explain so you can do an activity analysis. You’re not supposed to be the expert on every single sexual activity - that would be impossible. You’re the expert in activity analysis.
- Use the language noted above to describe the techniques and sensory preferences.
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