Photo: Halay Alex / shutterstock
Bottoms up.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on May 29, 2022
So you've had anal sex.
Congratulations! You, my friend, are now a member of the very special club. I like to call it, "The Club For People Who Have Had A Penis Safely Go Inside Their Anus For Sexual Pleasure," or TCFPWHHAPSGITAFSP, for short.
Having anal sex is an awesome rite of passage that should absolutely be celebrated.
Once you can stand again, that is.
I kid, I kid. While having anal sex for the first time can be uncomfortable, if you are doing it correctly, you went slowly, practiced beforehand, and used plenty of lube to get the deed done with minimal ouchiness.
I am so proud of you.
Now that the deed is done, let's talk about what things you need to do after you've had anal sex before you can rest easy (or at the very least, have anal sex again).
What to do after having anal sex
1. Shower
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There's a common misconception that anal sex is somehow "dirtier" than other sex. Guess what? If you shower regularly, it just isn't.
That said, your anus is an out hole. It's fine to let people frolic inside, but definitely do clean up afterward.
During anal sex microscope tears in your sphincter can occur, that's different than a vaginal tear during vaginal sex because of poop.
If you get poop in those tears you're going to get an infection to beat the ever-loving band. Do yourself a favor and keep it clean, just to save yourself a demoralizing trip to the doctor's office if nothing else.
2. Abstain
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If your butt really hurts, something went wrong during anal sex. If you are having a hard time sitting down, or passing a bowel movement, something went wrong during anal sex.
What does this mean? That you need to give yourself time to heal. This is good because it means you and your partner can figure out what went wrong (was it not enough lube? I bet you did not use enough lube) to cause you such ass distress.
3. Poop
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It is not unusual (to feel looooooved by anyone, jk, sorry, moving on) to wake up the morning after a session of anal sex feeling like you might have to poop really badly.
Go for it. Poop your ever-loving brains out.
The fact that you are pooping at all is a sign that you had anal sex the right way. If you go to poop and discover that passing stool is too painful, or that it is impossible, that's a sign that something has gone wrong.
It might feel unsettling to rain mud from the hole that was the site of last night's pleasure, but it's really a great thing to just get out of the way after anal sex.
4. Kegels
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Kegels are associated with tightening your vagina, and while that's true that ain't all they are good for!
Performing Kegels regularly can tighten your entire pelvic floor. If you plan on having anal sex regularly (applause for you) then you'll want to perform Kegels to keep that bottom right and tight.
While your skin contains collagen which helps with stretch, your butt hole is not designed in the same way that your vagina is. It needs a little bit of help staying in shape.
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Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. She writes about psychology, relationships, pop-culture and news.