Anal Sex & Anal Sex toys. What to do?

Anal sexual activity can be pleasurable, fun and very stimulating solo or for partners. Some of the biggest concerns seem to be about pleasure, pain, hygiene, and STDs. Toys2love.co.uk is trying to help you and find out the most frequently asking questions about anal sex and anal sex toys

Anal Sex Hygiene;Having unprotected anal sex is a good way to contract the HIV/AIDS virus. Before any type of anal sex activity, it is important that you protect yourself and your partner. Make sure to discuss with your partner(s) the best way to ensure your health.  Please take a look at our Personal  Hygiene section.

Anus Cleaning; Try to clean your anus thoroughly with hot, soapy water before any anal activities. A great alternative are baby wipes, in fact, a strippers technique, many people use them instead of toilet paper for clean up after any bowel movement.

Bacteria;The entire anal region has a variety of bacteria inside and just outside it. You will want to be careful to avoid getting that bacteria into other orifices of your body to prevent infection. When you choose to give someone a "Rim Job" or lick their anus you may risk getting sick from bacteria present. You may want to use a finger or toy with lubricant for a similar effect without the risk.

Oral Anal Sex; Also known as "Analingus," it is the act of licking or inserting the tongue into the anus to provide pleasure. Both men and women enjoy analingus and you can use some of the same techniques on each. Positioning where the receiver's butt cheeks are naturally spread such as kneeling on all fours (doggie style) with their legs spread apart, or on their back with their legs up in the air (again, legs spread apart) makes the anus easier to access.

It's not a good idea to perform oral sex or kiss after analingus, as bacteria from the anus can wreak havoc on other parts of the body. Make sure to clean your mouth thoroughly afterward by brushing your teeth and tongue and using Listerine.

Anal sex should done in a manner that allows both partners to enjoy it. Start slowly, use a lot of lubricant and do not use desensitizers with Benzocaine like Anal Eze so that you do not feel pain. It is important to listen to your body and using them is not only ignoring the warning signals that your body is sending, but there are health risks with the main ingredient in the desensitizers- benzocaine.

Desensitizers can contain numbing drugs that can include lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine and prilocaine. The FDA said consumers should be cautious about using them without medical supervision. Leaving the creams on the skin for long periods of time or on large portions of their bodies can increase the risk, officials have said. Small children and people with heart or severe liver disease are also at higher risk.

Safer Anal Sex with Condoms; Due to the risk of STD's, including HIV/AIDS, condoms have become an essential part of careful anal sex. It is also good for monogamous couples because the bacteria from the anus can get inside the urethra of the man's penis (pee hole) and cause a ( UTI ) Urinary Tract Infection.

When using condoms make sure to use water based lubricants with latex condoms - an oil based lube will destroy the condom.

Anal Sex Toy first time; For first time users of anal sex toys, it is important to remember that using any kind of flexible jelly type toys may be hard to insert as you may be tensing and inadvertently keeping your sphincter muscle tight and closed, not allowing the toy to enter.

You may also want to avoid using a toy that is overly hard as you need to get used to what this feels like and because of inexperience you may cause damage.

Therefore using something like a Silicone Dildo is a good toy to start with as it is soft, yet firm enough for entry. It also has a great handle for easy maneuvering.

To prepare for anal sex, the first thing the receiver needs to do is relax. Pain will most certainly occur is the receiver is tense and clenching their sphincter muscles.

A hot bath or massage are great beforehand and as things progress you will want to play with the anal rim first and then slowly penetrate with ample lubricant.

To prevent psychological inhibitors, make sure to discuss limits, expectations and techniques of your anal experience before you begin so that the receiver is confident that they are not going to be painfully surprised by something.

Multiple Fingers; Once a beginner is comfortable, you can begin to add more intensity if you desire. Adding fingers as well as pushing against the walls while inside will add intensity. Some people even go as far as anal fisting. This is only for those that are well educated in fisting and take precautions as it is a highly risky activity for infection, permanent damage and trauma.

Men’s desire for Anal sex; While performing oral sex on a man it is often found to be highly erotic to stimulate the perineum (the area between the base of the balls and the anus).

Work your way down to the anus and begin circling the outer rim of the anus. If all goes well, slowly insert your finger up to your first knuckle. Keep a close eye on your partner to make sure he's enjoying it. Proceed slowly.

Depending on the man, you may only be able to get one knuckle deep before he's uncomfortable, or you may find that he enjoys an entire finger (or two - or three).

During orgasm in a man, the perineum and the anus become highly charged orgasmic centers of pleasure.

Each man is different, but if you locate his (sweet spot- prostate) you can give him intense orgasms.

Another technique is to use anal beads and pull them out at the moment of climax.

•             Anal Beads are balls or bumps on a string or a semi-rigid wand. They are inserted into the rectum and then removed with varying speeds. The beads can be uniform or vary in size, and number from three to as many as eight.

•             Prostate Massage toys are specially curved toys that are designed to stimulate the prostate, such as the Aneros.

•             Butt Plugs are often shorter dildos intended for anal insertion. They tend to have a flared base to prevent the device from becoming lodged in the rectum.

Butt plugs are usually used covered by condoms for hygiene, and to allow for the easy disposal of any feces that they may come in contact with. They should not be shared with other people, due to the risk of blood-borne diseases, including HIV that can arise from the transfer of body fluids from one person to another. These should also never be used to stimulate any area other than the rectum, though they often are.

There are butt plugs that "ejaculate" by squirting water or other viscous fluids into the rectum. There are also vibrating butt plugs, butt plugs that can inflate and expand, and butt plugs with rotating beads and thrusting functions. Butt plugs can be moved in or out for pleasure; for this type of activity ribbed butt plugs can increase pleasure. They can also be worn continuously (or be lockable) for long periods of time.