THE ESSENTIAL
- The reasons given by young women to explain their practice of anal sex are pleasure, curiosity or the fact of wanting to please their male partner.
- Up to 25% of patients who have ever had anal intercourse report having been forced to do so at least once.
- Women are at a higher risk of incontinence due to their anatomy and the effects of hormones, pregnancy and childbirth on the pelvic floor.
Anal sex is increasingly common among heterosexual couples. “In Britain, the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle shows that participation in heterosexual anal sex among 16-24 year olds has risen from 12.5% to 28.5% in recent decades. Similar trends are observed in the United States, where 30 to 44% of men and women report having had anal intercourse”, wrote two surgeons, Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt, in a study published in the journal The British Medical Journal.
Health risks
According to experts, anal intercourse is considered risky sexual behavior because of its association with alcohol, drug use and multiple sexual partners. But they are also linked to specific health problems.
The practice of anal sex increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and cancerous tumors of the anus. Increased rates of faecal incontinence and anal sphincter damage have been reported in women who have anal intercourse. “The pain and bleeding that women report after anal intercourse is indicative of trauma, and risks may be increased if anal intercourse is forced,” can we read in a statement.
Reluctance from doctors
According to the surgeons, effective management of anorectal disorders requires understanding the underlying risk factors and a good anamnesis (ie all the information provided to the doctor by the patient) is essential.
Yet practitioners may avoid these discussions because of taboos around anal sex. “It may not just be avoidance or stigma that prevents healthcare professionals from talking to young women about the risks of anal sex. There is real concern that the message could be seen as judgmental or even misinterpreted as homophobic. However, by avoiding these discussions, we risk letting down a generation of young women, who are not aware of the risks”, explained the doctors.
Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt specified that not talking about anal sex exposes women to “from missed diagnoses, to futile treatments and further harm due to lack of medical advice.”
“Open, neutral and non-judgmental conversations”
They state that healthcare professionals, particularly those in general medicine, gastroenterology and colorectal surgery, “have a duty to recognize societal changes with regard to anal sex among young women, and to respond to these changes with open, neutral and non-judgmental conversations, in order to ensure that all women have the information they need to make informed choices about their sexuality.”
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