Anal sex

Anal sex or anal intercourse is a commonly practiced form of human sexual behavior in some cultures. It involves the anus (or rectum), especially, but not limited to, the insertion of the erect penis into the rectum through the anus. The use of sex toys and other activities involving the anus and rectum may be considered anal sex as well. Anal sex can be pleasurable for both the insertive partner and the receptive partner, as the anus contains many of the same kinds of nerves as the penis or clitoris (it can also be unpleasurable for both partners, especially if performed forcefully or without lubrication).

Anal sex among gay men and lesbians

Historically, several cultures, such as medieval Japan and others are known to have been normative practitioners of male-male anal intercourse, often in the context of a mentor-student relationship between an adolescent male and an adult man (see pederasty). Many argue that the males who participated in such relationships cannot properly be called homosexual, arguing that in classical cultures such distinctions did not exist, and since participation in these male-male relationships did not preclude sex with women.

Related Topics:
Medieval Japan - Pederasty - Homosexual

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The practice is thought to have been so common in Ancient Greece that the term "Greek love" was used to refer to the practice, and in modern times, "Greek" is sometimes used as gay slang for anal sex.

Related Topics:
Ancient Greece - Gay slang

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The view that homosexual anal sex was widely accepted in Ancient Greece is widely disputed. Some literature has argued that passive anal intercourse by men was frowned upon in Ancient Greece and considered a serious moral transgression. Certainly, male passive anal intercourse was (officially) frowned-upon in Rome. It has been argued that the alleged ancient aversion to male passive anal intercourse has fueled the long-standing moral disapproval of homosexuality.

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Others have argued that in Greece, rather than anal sex, male-male couples actually engaged in non-penetrative interfemoral intercourse. However, this view is widely disputed.

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In other cultures, notably Japan, records (including detailed woodblock prints) leave no question that male-male couples did engage in penetrative anal intercourse.

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In modern times, anal sex is popularly associated with gay men, and studies (Lauman, for example) claim that about 80% of gay men in the United States have engaged in anal sex. Because the actual number of men who identify as gay is unknown, however, this figure is questionable.

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Not all gay men regularly engage in anal sex or find it pleasurable, however. It may be that some gay men try anal sex once or a few times and then rarely if ever engage in the practice, and others may never try it at all. Some may reserve it only for committed relationships. Since data on gay sexual behavior tends to arouse such controversy, it is difficult to make solid claims in this area.

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While some gay male couples comprise an "active" partner and a "receptive" partner (a top and a bottom) this is not true of all gay couples who practice anal sex: some gay men who have anal sex both "top" and "bottom" at different times and are called "versatile" or "switch."

Related Topics:
Top - Bottom

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Gay cultures generally do not make a distinction between the penetrative and the receptive partner in defining who counts as "gay": both tops and bottoms who have sex exclusively with men are considered gay.

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Several gay slang terms are generally reserved for anal sex between two males, such as "barebacking" which refers to unprotected anal intercourse. Some gay (and straight) couples engage in "felching," where the top sucks out the semen he has deposited in the anus of the bottom as a result of "bareback" anal intercourse. Like rimming, this practice carries with it considerable health risks.

Related Topics:
Gay slang - Barebacking - Rimming

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Like some gay men, some lesbians also practice anal sex (with sex toys, which remain illegal in some U.S. jurisdictions), but it is not known precisely how prevalent the practice is.

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