What is Anal Stimulation?

The anal area is packed with nerve endings and can be stimulated to great effect with fingers, your tongue, a penis, dildos, or anything else that you think can be pleasurable. As a tip you should always use something that is either attached to you (or your partner, if it is you being stimulated) or has a flared or large end to prevent it being lost and a trip to A&E. This means that you can really use your imagination and go smooth, textured, knobbly, long and slender, or whatever you have to hand, however, sex toys are made for this kind of thing, so are always a good place to start.

Unlike a vagina, the anus doesn’t naturally lubricate, so you should always use some kind of additional lubricant, but more on that later.

Why Anally stimulate?

Both men and women have a huge spiders web of tantalising nerve endings around the anal area. Ironically, nature has probably put those nerves there to alert a person, or whatever animal it may be, to the fact that something is entering the anus, and for them to do something about it. In many other lower-order creatures, the alert tells them to get away from whatever it is, but in humans – who have cultivated a healthy sexual repertoire – the feeling is more one of wanting further exploration.

With ladies, the thrilling neve-endings, and possibly the psychological aspect of domination, are as far as anal stimulation goes, but men have a secret weapon up their sleeves – well, in their anus, actually.

The male prostate is a walnut-sized zone of joy hidden in the depth of the anus, and stimulation of that is a whole theme park of joy! Biologically, the prostate helps make some of the fluid that makes up semen, which carries sperm from your testicles when you ejaculate. Sexually, massaging of the prostate – known, unsurprisingly, as prostate massaging - is also used for sexual stimulation to help achieve arousal, enhance an erection, or relax the rectum in advance of anal sex.

What Are the Main Types of Anal Toys?

Alan toys come in many shapes, sizes, and forms, but all bear one factor in common; they are designed to be inserted and generally have a tapered end to allow easy entry and exit. Apart from that, anal toys can come in a bewildering array of sizes and shapes. The anal sphincter is fairly forgiving, and with some training – starting small and working up through a number of sessions – fairly large and chunky styles can be inserted with relative ease. Specially designed anal toys can be either static in nature or have added electronics for vibrations to help stimulate

What Lubricants Should I use?

You can use saliva, but you need to top it up very frequently. Proper lubricants have been developed to give the best combination of silkiness with longevity, and will continue to perform even when the going gets frantic. Lubricants come in four basic forms, being;

Water based,

Silicone based

Oil based

Natural lubricants.

And they all have their pros and cons.

Water based lubes. The range of water-based lubricants are based on either having glycerine included or not. If it has glycerine, it tends to be sweet to the taste. Either type are perfectly safe to use with condoms – the use of which are recommended for anal play dildos etc anyway – but can dry out quickly, so need to be reapplied often.

Silicone lube is one of the best lubes for anal investigations and because it contains a number of useful additives, including dimethicone, dimethiconol, and cyclomethicone. The mix of these helps creates a consistency that is thicker and more 'buttery' than water-based lubes, and helps it stay in place longer.

Oil-based lubes offer the best of both worlds; they are lightweight and long-lasting and, depending upon what has been included in it, smell great too. In fact, the one downside to oil-based is that they rather eat through latex, so condoms – if you are using them – aren’t going to last.

Natural lubes are a relatively new addition that are more allied to oil-based products than anything else. Many of these ‘ethically-minded’ lubes use cocoanut oil as their basis, which is then mixed with other natural products to create nice-smelling fairly effective lube that let’s you sleep at night. However, cocoanut oil will stain your sheets quite badly and will also eat latex so be careful.

And if you really want to make sure that whatever lube you are using is fully in place, you might want to use a lob-shooter, which is designed to really get your chosen lub really deep.

What Materials Are Anal Toys Made From?

While we are used to any kind of sex toy being made of some form of rubber (or its derivative), there have been some interesting advances and toys made of other materials in recent years, and they have their own advantages to add. The main materials used for anal toys are;

Rubber. Rubber toys have been around for decades but are still used for the cheaper end of the market or, being a fairly cheap product, where there is a lot of it being used such as in giant-sized toys. The main downside with rubber – apart from feeling a bit rubbery – is that the material tends to be a little porous, and needs to be cleaned well after use to prevent cross contamination (see ‘Dangers’, below). Rubber is a cheap and cheerful material for anal toys, but generally the one that is at the, ahem, bottom of the ladder.

Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE). Sandwiched between Rubber and Silicone is this mixture of plastic and rubber that has been marketed as feel-real skin. You’ll usually find in in toys such as Fleshlights rather than anything that is inserted, since they are still porous though not to the extent of ruubber.

Silicone. Much more fun that rubber and not porous either, silicone toys are ideal for anal play, though because of the cost of the virgin material, tend to be more expensive than their rubber counterparts. The smooth and engaging feel of silicone alone is worth the extra expense but add in the cleanliness of the material and they become a must-have.

Glass. Non-porous, smooth, and sturdy, glass toys are very popular and very safe. Not the same stuff as in your windows, these are toughened to prevent fracture. Glass toys are a bit more expensive but worth every penny as they wipe down and easily and are good for multi-partner parties.

Metal. Heavy and solid, chrome-plated metal plugs and toys are the crème-de-la-crème of any toy cupboard. Because they are metal, they can be heated (slightly) or cooled quite considerably to increase the sensations. Easy to clean and professional, metal toys are certainly for the aficionado.

Are the Any Dangers with Anal Stimulation?

You need to ensure cleanliness since anal bacteria can cause serious vaginal infections and cystitis, so if you want your partner's fingers, penis, or dildo in your vagina after being in your anus, be sure they have been cleaned very well first, and make sure that you use a condom on a penis or dildo. If you or your partner want to use a tongue in the anus, be sure to use a dental dam with lubrication to protect against getting a stomach infection or a sexually transmitted infection. Anal sex is a very risky activity for HIV transmission. The delicate tissue in the rectum – the higher part of the anus - is prone to small tears if treated roughly and that will that make it an entryway for the AIDS virus.

Anal toys and lube are ideal for stimulation from solo-play, couples, or even group play, though when there is more than one you need to ensure that you are keeping everything clean and not cross-contaminating. There are many specially-designed toys to reach far into the rectum and to stimulate the prostate in men. As with any invasive practices, take it slow and work up, and listen to your partner.