Episode 237: How Women Feel About Anal Sex

There’s a lot of research out there on the subject of anal sex; however, surprisingly little of it has focused on how women feel about this activity. Fortunately, a large nationally representative study of women’s experiences with anal touch recently came out that sheds important light on the subject. In today’s show, we’re going to dive into the results and discuss how many women have explored anal stimulation, their preferred forms of anal touch, tips for experiencing more anal pleasure, and more. I am joined once again by Dr. Devon Hensel, an Associate Professor of Research at Indiana University School of Medicine, who has led several national and international sexual health studies. Devon has expertise in sexuality across the life span, sexual pleasure, romantic/sexual relationships and solo and partnered sexual behavior. Some of the topics we explore include: How many women have engaged in some form of anal stimulation? Why is it important to explore different forms of anal touch beyond penile-anal penetration? What are anal surfacing, anal shallowing, and anal pairing? Which forms of anal touch do women find to be most pleasurable? What are some of the dos and don’ts of anal sex when it comes to pleasure and safety? You can learn more about Devon here and read her full study on anal touch here. Thank you to our sponsors! Support sex science by becoming a friend of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. Visit kinseyinstitute.org to make a donation to support ongoing research projects on critical topics. You can also show your support by following the Kinsey Institute on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.