Does anal sex hurt?

Anal sex might hurt, but there are easy and effective ways to avoid pain and discomfort.

Many people have bad memories of the first time or the few times they have tried anal sex, and in several cases those painful experiences made the receiving partner decide never to have anal sex again.

But anal sex, if performed properly, shouldn’t involve pain- not even the first time you do it. 

The most common cause of pain during anal sex are anxiety, excessive speed and lack of lubrication: 

Speed 

If the inserting partner moves too fast, the muscles of the anus and rectum will not be able to gradually adjust to the penis’s size. 

This poses a serious risk of excessive friction between the penis and the anal walls 

Lubrication

The rectum doesn’t produce a natural lubricant like the vagina does. Instead, the rectum produces only a small amount of mucus. 

If you don’t use additional lubricant, the friction between the penis and the anal walls may cause serious pain. 

Anxiety

If the receiving partner is no sufficiently relaxed- maybe because he or she isn’t fully aware of what is going to happen, or isn’t convinced it’s a good idea, the inside of the anus might get tense, making penetration much harder to achieve and quite uncomfortable.