Bottoms are often concerned about fecal matter making anal sex messy. This anxiety can make anal sex painful for the bottom and ruin the experience.
The best way to keep the anal cavity clean is through a diet high in fiber and greens. Getting enough water is also helpful.
Eating the Right Foods
When you have anal sex, it’s important to do everything you can to make sure the anorectum is as clean as possible. That includes eating foods high in fiber.
One of the most common strategies bottoms use to keep their anal clean is douching. But if done too often, douching can cause irritation and dryness to the anorectum, making it more susceptible to cuts, cracks and elevating STD and HIV risks.
That’s why some anal sex enthusiasts recommend a modest volume of warm water before you have sex, rather than an enema. You can do this with a shower or a special anal “douche,” available at some adult stores, or you can even just use your regular shower hose.
Porn stars have talked openly about how they prepare for anal sex scenes. Among other things, they do a lot of dilating, training to prepare their butt muscles in advance, and they use lube.
If you’re new to anal sex, it’s always best to start off slow and use a lube that’s specially formulated for it. You can also buy a dilator at a medical supply store and work your way up over the course of a week or so to be as comfortable as possible with anal sex. And, of course, you should always use a condom.
Avoiding Food Triggers
If you’re a bottom, chances are you have some anxieties about anal play. But avoiding certain foods can help alleviate some of those. “There are a ton of nerve endings on the inside and outside of the anus,” says gastroenterologist Michelle Inkster, who explains that penetrative anal play can be uncomfortable or painful for many reasons. “The anus has sphincters that are elastic rings of muscle. They open and close to push bowel movements out of the body and keep things from entering,” she says.
Foods that are sour or acidic, spicy, or contain high amounts of fat can cause irritation and itching when inserted into the anal sphincter. These foods can also aggravate hemorrhoids, a condition caused by low-fiber diets and that affects half of all Americans. Hemorrhoids can make anal sex even more painful.
Hemorrhoids are not just a problem for women, but can be a significant barrier to sexual pleasure for anyone. To avoid them, experts recommend a high-fiber diet and using an anal lubricant. If you’re not sure which anal lube to use, try a lubricant that contains glycerin or propylene glycol. Those ingredients will hold up better than water-based lubes, which can become sticky and uncomfortable. You can also douche your anus before penetration, but experts warn against over-doing it. Too much douching can damage the anal sphincter, leading to itching and cracking.
Getting Enough Water
Many bottoms douche their bumhole before anal sex to prepare it for lubrication and reduce the risk of a messy, painful and possibly transmittable STI or HIV. But there’s one problem: anal douching can actually damage the sensitive area, causing it to create excessive mucus, dry out and crack and leaving you with a higher risk for infection. Douching also rinses away the natural protective layer of the skin on the anal canal, leaving it exposed to irritation and abrasion, which can lead to inflammation, pain and a greater chance for sex-related infections.
Rather than douche, try lubricating the anal canal with water or a mild soap before and after anal sex. And avoid using wet wipes, which can irritate the genital area and cause friction that leads to anal pain.
Another good idea is to place a towel on the bed before you get down to business, so any anal poop that may land on it will help protect your sheets and make it easier to clean up afterward. And don’t forget to use a condom!
To avoid a messy anal experience, Hall recommends eating lots of fiber-rich foods like legumes, whole grains and vegetables, which can help prevent bloating and keep poop solid until it’s time to go number two. But even a good diet doesn’t guarantee that your poop won’t appear during anal sex, so it’s best to keep a towel nearby just in case.
Getting Enough Fiber
The bottom is a sensitive area, so it’s important to make sure the body is getting enough fiber. Fiber helps the intestines digest food and absorb water, which can help prevent constipation. However, a diet rich in fiber can also lead to more gas and bloating, which may be uncomfortable or even painful during anal sex. It’s best to avoid foods that are high in insoluble fiber a few days before anal sex to help your body prepare for it.
Aside from avoiding certain foods, it’s crucial to get plenty of fiber so the anal sphincter can relax during anal sex. It’s a muscle that is typically clenched tight, but when it’s relaxed, the anal canal is more open to receiving fluids and other things that may enter the sex canal.
Hall started his cooking account after scanning Reddit forums for tips about eating before anal sex and finding the advice to be limited to “Don’t eat before anal sex,” “Drink lots of water” and other basics. He hopes his account, called The Bottom’s Digest, will help destigmatize bottoming, especially for queer people. Besides dietary advice, he says it’s also important to be patient with anal sex and use special anal lube to avoid friction or pain. For now, his videos are getting thousands of views and hundreds of comments, so you might want to give them a shot yourself if you’re interested in trying anal sex.
