Sensual Fusion

"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!

Comments

[NelsonJohnson]

Anal sex without the protection of a condom is the most dangerous form of sexual activity. Oral, according to a Spanish study of 2000 participants who engaged exclusively in oral sex, accounted for NO HIV transmission at all. A wide variety of STDs are transmitted by any form of unprotected sex.

We need to start talking about sexual matters as though we are adults. The reality is that we have nerve endings all over our bodies, and we can obtain pleasure in a wide variety of ways. It is absurd to condemn one form of neural stimulation over others. We have no right to intrude into other people's private legal activities. I suspect that much of the stigma we attach to "gay" sex has more to do with our own guilt-ridden toilet training than it does with activities that others find pleasant.

[Norge]

I doubt such activity is a new discovery for the humans, perhaps for the American humans who are still waking up from the long sleep of America and the rest of the world.

Thousands of years of human interplay resulting with an earthly population of over 6 billion as of the 21st century.
In the old India society, much erotic activity was documented in sculpture and painting and of course some distroyed by the British occupation. Purtitanical distruction of the heathen though no statistics concerning so called deviant sexual activity back in those days. They just lived with the consequences.

What cancer statistics are available from the gay community if such has been on the increase these last 30 years?
Their activity traces is roots to pre-dawn ice fields.

[legendmn]

One point that isn't mentioned is that gay teens are at a higher risk for not being taught that there are risks with anal sex, because virtually all comprehensive sex education only deals with straight sex.
This puts these kids at a much higher risk, when anal and oral sex are the primary means of sexual expression.

[RumiSouth]

Can we get to the point where sex is just sex is just sex is just sex...with­out arguing over what "is" is?

[memoirsofagaysha]

We are simply unable, in this society, to have rational arguments (as in "I argue that because A --> B and B --> C and C --> D that A leads to D") about both sex and drugs -- because both topics, when argued (properly speaking) might lead one to a conclusion other than that "sex is dirty" ("Sex is disgusting, only if done right", Mr. Quentin Crisp noted) or that "drugs are everywhere and always bad and pernicious"

we've not really progressed (in fact, I'm sure we've regressed) since Jocelyn Elders' being cashiered for speaking directly about sexuality. what a fog we're in; and we pretend to be surprised that people make suboptimal decisions when confronted with lack of clarity and also with shame.

[JAG]

Thanks for having the guts to make this issue public.

Well Done!

[joebaggadonuts]

As I learned in college when my hall-mate clarified that his girlfriend was still a virgin because they only practiced anal, many people don't think it's s-e-x.

Boy are they in for a surprise. Thanks for stepping up to the plate here, ladies. Hopefully this will article get you two and this issue onto first base.