"Anal is the new oral" is the new carcinogen...
Will it hurt? What if I poop? What if I get cancer? Huh? That's right -- anal sex may be increasing rectal cancer rates, according to a study published in "Human Papillomavirus, Smoking, and Sexual Practices in the Etiology of Anal Cancer." The study found that anal cancer rose 78 percent among women and 160 percent among men in the period from 1973 to 2000. Why is this significant? Because more and more Americans are testing their taste for backdoor pleasure and the droves are singing its praise.
Quite simply, anal is the new oral, and most anal participants would happily agree that casual rectal action is no big deal. However, anal sex is about 50 times more dangerous than oral sex in terms of disease transmission, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control in 2005, and increases risk for anal HPV and cancer exponentially. So, whether we're talking about dabbling casually in the rectal canal or doing it regularly in a monogamous relationship, we should talk about getting word out on how to dip with utmost safety.
Unfortunately, that isn't being done, with nearly all (96 percent) high school age girls polled in a study conducted by Dr. Avril Melissa Houston revealing that while they know that 'traditional' vaginal-penile sex can put them at risk for HIV, one in five of those same girls failed to realize that anal sex had similar risks. With the 12-15 percent increase in anal activity over a 10-year time span, we're afraid that most anal newbies have insufficient knowledge and education in how to protect themselves. Add to this the fact that high school girls will often engage in anal sex instead of vaginal-penile sex, as not to, in their view, lose their "virginity," and we've got an even bigger.
Complicating the problem even more, cultural taboos surrounding our poopers make it difficult for people to speak frankly on the topic of rectal titillation without getting giggly or grossed out. We'll admit that, during a beautiful drive through Napa Valley this past July, we found ourselves talking about this issue, yet the conversation hardly went past "Have you ever?" "Could you ever?" "Would you ever?" It's hard to share your thoughts on something so personal, lest you face the judgment over anal acts having been deemed dirty, naughty, and even downright wrong!
It's time we get over our issues, people! With one in three heterosexual couples polled by the CDC in 2004 admitting that they did, indeed, enjoy anal pleasuring, we think it's time to address the issue and teach people that anal sex is every bit as risky as oral and other forms of sex play. Furthermore, it ought to be part of any age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education program. We think it's a huge disservice to the young people in our society to avoid speaking of all things anal. In light of increasing rectal cancer rates, we're disgusted that, to the best of our knowledge, only ONE newspaper in Bergen County, NJ even mentioned the fact that the landmark CDC study unearthed such a significant rise in anally active teens and adults.
The fact that anal sex is too unpalatable to publish or talk, but yummy enough for 35 percent of women and 44 percent of men surveyed by Lavalife to indulge themselves, ought to do more than raise eyebrows. It should act as a wake up call to the alarming need for education now. Our fixation on all other sex practices and denial of a rising anal sexing sub-culture may be the most preventable and unnecessary carcinogen around. We need to get our butts moving!