The Internet exploded with jokes after Amber Rose clapped back at Kanye West by tweeting her account of their anal-play history.
Kanye defended himself on Friday, tweeting, "I stay away from that area all together."
But there's really no reason why he should be so defensive.
According to a 2008 survey, 18 percent of heterosexual men have given anal sex, 15 percent have received analingus, and 24 percent have received anal fingering—or, as Rose dubbed it, #FingersInTheBootyAssBitch. In addition, 24 percent have performed analingus and 53 percent have anally fingered a woman.
In fact, we seem to be living in the Age of the Ass, with lyrics like Jhene Aiko's "eat the booty like groceries" and Nicki Minaj's "he toss my salad like his name romaine."
While there's no reason to be embarrassed about anal play, it is important to engage in it safely and comfortably.
Dr. Vanessa Cullins, Planned Parenthood's vice-president of external medical affairs, told NTRSCTN that you should use lube, go slowly, and stop if anal play starts to hurt. For newbies, fingers and toys are a better bet than inserting a penis right away.
If you're anally fingering someone, Cullins recommended using rubber or nitrile gloves.
"If your nails are long and/or fancy, you can put some cotton balls under the nails, then put the gloves on so it reduces the chance of the gloves (or your partner!) tearing," sex educator and clinician Aida Manduley told NTRSCTN.
Condoms should be used during anal intercourse to prevent STDs, and can also be used on toys to make cleanup easier, Manduley said.
Ensure your toys are clean, start slowly by letting the butt's own contractions of the anus 'suck in' whatever you're trying to put near it, and make sure toys have a flared base so they don't accidentally slip inside and get stuck there. If that does happen, though, just go to the ER. They've seen everything already.
But you don't even need to venture into the butt to enjoy anal play, Manduley added: "You can use toys to stimulate the anus (where so many nerve endings are) without putting anything actually in the butt."
When it comes to anal toys, she advised:
Be gentle and only use mild soaps and soft cloths to avoid irritating and scraping yourself, which can increase your STD risk. But even the most thorough of cleanings won’t completely eliminate the health risks, and it does nothing to prevent STDs, so your best bet to is to also use a barrier between the mouth and anus, like a Sheer Glyde dam, a plastic wrap, or a condom cut up the side and opened flat.
Then there's analingus. If someone's mouth is about to come into contact with your butt, take a bath beforehand to make sure there's nothing, you know, left over, said Cullins:
You should never put anything that has just been in an anus in a vagina or mouth. Wash any body parts or supplies that have made contact with an anus right away.
For everyone afraid of encountering poop during anal play, Manduley said that's probably not going to happen: "Unless you feel you need to imminently poop, feces isn't just waiting at the anal gate, chilling, and waiting to ruin your sexy time. Stool is stored in the colon."
If you need a soundtrack for your anal activities, head to #KanyeAnalPlaylist before you butt play away.
