Anal Sex As Birth Control
One commonly used method of contraception was anal sex, because it meant the sperm could not reach the womb. Coitus interruptus (the withdrawal method) was also practiced. Women were also advised to encourage the semen back out of the uterus by jumping vigorously up and down after sex. Women were also advised to hold their breath at the moment of ejaculation, crouch down immediately after sex, sneeze, wash their vagina and drink something cold.
Anal Sex As Birth Control
Many couples want to be sexual with each other without having vaginal sex and/or risking pregnancy. Outercourse prevents pregnancy the same way abstinence (and all other forms of birth control) do: by keeping sperm away from an egg.
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Ways HIV Can Be TransmittedEspañol (Spanish)MinusRelated PagesHow is HIV passed from one person to another?Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example, cookers). But there are powerful tools to help prevent HIV transmission.
In addition, the researchers learned that many women find anal sex enjoyable, while others find it painful or unpleasant and only agree to it due to some other factor. Common factors include feeling pressured by a sexual partner and wanting to avoid pregnancy, among others.
Semen carries millions of sperm that are hardwired to swim as vigorously as possible to find an egg. A person assigned female at birth is fertile when their ovary has released a ripe egg into a fallopian tube. This happens once a month.
Whenever sperm are near the vagina, however, there is some possibility that you or your partner will accidentally spread it to the vaginal canal without vaginal penetration. If all other conditions are right, some medical authorities believe this could result in pregnancy.
Remember that for anal sex to result in pregnancy, not only would sperm need to reach the vagina somehow, but the person with a vagina would also have to be in their fertile window. This is typically a span of 3 to 7 days each cycle.
The reason anal sex increases the chances of infection is that the rectal lining is thin, dry, and delicate. It tears and bleeds easily, which provides an entry for viruses, bacteria, or parasites into the bloodstream. Even if neither partner has a serious infection, the presence of feces can lead to urinary tract infections.
When it comes to getting pregnant from anal sex, "this occurrence is extremely rare, but not impossible," says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, OB-GYN, and clinical professor of obstetrics and Gynecology at the Yale School of Medicine.
The only 100% effective way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV and STDs is through abstinence - avoiding all vaginal, anal and oral sex. Using a latex male condom or a female condom can greatly reduce, but not entirely eliminate, the risk of HIV and STD transmission. Abstinence is the only method to completely eliminate the possibility of sexual transmission of HIV or STDs.
No. Only condoms reduce the risk of pregnancy, STDs and HIV. Birth control pills, the birth control patch, contraceptive injections such as Depo-Provera, intrauterine devices (IUDs), diaphragms, and any birth control methods other than condoms do not provide protection against STDs and HIV. You should use a latex male condom or a female condom for STD and HIV prevention along with any other method you use to prevent pregnancy. Condoms can prevent the spread of other STDs, like HPV or genital herpes, only when the condom covers all of the infected area or sores.
You should not use additional or separate applications of spermicide for HIV prevention during vaginal or anal sex. Women who use spermicidal cream or jelly for pregnancy prevention should also use a condom to protect against HIV and to provide better protection against pregnancy than spermicide alone.
Spermicides contain the chemical nonoxynol-9 (N-9). Although N-9 kills HIV in test tubes, one study showed that N-9 inserted into the vagina may irritate the vagina and actually increase the risk of HIV infection during vaginal sex. N-9 may also irritate the lining of the rectum and should not be used for anal sex.
Although oral sex presents less of a risk for HIV and some STDs than vaginal or anal sex, the risk still exists. Herpes is commonly passed between genitals and the mouth, and you can get a bacterial infection in your mouth or throat from an STD. The risk of HIV transmission through oral sex is low, but people have been infected this way. Oral sex can be made safer by using a latex barrier. For oral sex performed on a man, a non-lubricated condom is recommended. For oral sex performed on a woman, a dental dam (a thin square of latex), a non-lubricated condom that is cut open or a plastic wrap can be used to cover the vagina. Oral-anal sex (rimming) is a high-risk activity that may be made safer by using a dental dam.
Unprotected anal sex with a person who has HIV or another STD, or whose HIV or STD status you do not know, is the highest-risk sexual activity for both men and women. The walls of the anus and rectum are thin and have many blood vessels than can be injured during anal sex. Injured tissue in the anus and rectum can expose you to HIV and other STDs. Male latex condoms used with a water-based lubricant reduces the chance of tissue and skin tearing and lowers the risk of transmitting disease during anal sex. However, even with lubrication, male condoms fail more often during anal sex than during vaginal or oral sex. Female condoms should not be used for anal sex, as they do not provide adequate protection. Because use of the female condom during anal sex requires removal of the inner ring, the female condom is unlikely to stay in place during anal intercourse.
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of the first condoms specifically indicated to help reduce transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during anal intercourse. The condoms, which will be marketed as the One Male Condom, are also indicated as a contraceptive to help reduce the risk of pregnancy and the transmission of STIs during vaginal intercourse.
The One Male Condom is a natural rubber latex sheath that covers the penis. It has three different versions: standard, thin and fitted. The fitted condoms, available in 54 different sizes, incorporate a paper template to aid in finding the best condom size for each user. When used during anal intercourse, the One Male Condom should be used with a condom-compatible lubricant.
The study found that the total condom failure rate was 0.68% for anal intercourse and 1.89% for vaginal intercourse with the One Male Condom. Condom failure rate was defined as the number of slippage, breakage or both slippage and breakage events that occurred over the total number of sex acts performed. For the One Male Condom, the overall percentage of adverse events was 1.92%. Adverse events reported during the clinical trial included symptomatic STI or recent STI diagnosis (0.64%), condom or lubricant-related discomfort (0.85%), partner discomfort with lubricant (0.21%) and partner urinary tract infection (0.21%). The symptomatic STI or recent STI diagnoses observed in the study were self-reported and may be the result of subjects having intercourse without a condom or may have preceded use of the One Male Condom, as STIs were not measured at baseline.
Meredith Wallis is a certified nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner, and international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who specializes in out-of-hospital birth, lactation support, and childbirth education. Her professional passions include holistic medicine, vaginal birth after cesarean, and evidence-based care. She currently works in the Health Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, Morocco.
As a general rule, people who are sexually active but seeking to avoid pregnancy should always use proven forms of birth control. Also, the consistent use of condoms can help prevent the spread of STIs.
Hirst J, Pickles J, Kenny M, Beresford R, Froggatt C. A qualitative exploration of perceptions of anal sex: implications for sex education and sexual health services in England. Culture, Health & Sexuality. February 15, 2022:1-15. doi:10.1080/13691058.2022.2037020
Heterosexual anal intercourse is a highly efficient mode of HIV transmission, yet little is known about the contexts in which women engage in it, or when and with whom they use condoms. Similarly, sexuality and reproductive health research has paid little attention to female desire and pleasure-seeking.
In-depth interviews were conducted in Boston in 2006 with 28 women who reported having had unprotected anal intercourse in the last year with a man who was HIV-positive or whose serostatus was unknown. Sexual scripting theory guided analyses of their experiences with and motivations to practice anal intercourse.
Participants engaged in anal intercourse for a wide variety of reasons: to experience physical pleasure, enhance emotional intimacy, please their male partners or avoid violence. Male partners usually initiated anal sex. Anal intercourse often occurred in the context of vaginal and oral sex. Among reasons women cited for not using condoms were familiarity with their partner and feeling that condoms made anal sex less pleasurable. Knowledge of HIV and STD risks did not appear to encourage condom use.
Women who perceive condom use during anal sex as limiting their pleasure or intimacy may be at increased risk for acquiring HIV. Consequently, interventions to promote safer anal intercourse must find a way to increase the use of barrier methods without decreasing pleasure or perceived intimacy between sexual partners.