Is anal sex safe during pregnancy?

Many women wonder about the safety of anal sex during pregnancy, and fortunately, most healthcare providers agree that — with a couple pregnancy-friendly considerations — it’s usually okay to do.

The first caveat has to do with cleanliness. Your partner needs to be sure that, whether by accident or by design, what goes in the back door doesn’t come back in the front door until it’s been thoroughly cleaned (or you have changed the condom). The bacteria from the rectum can cause bad infections if passed through to the vagina by way of the penis, putting both you and your baby at risk.

Then, you have to keep in mind your possibly delicate state with regard to constipation and hemorrhoids. If you’re bleeding from the anus already, or have just been suffering from these burning annoyances, anal sex during pregnancy may be the last thing you want to do.

If you do decide to take the plunge (har), be sure to use plenty of lubricant, relax yourself, and take all the time you need. There are enough discomforts of pregnancy without adding another to the menu!

And if anal sex is your thing in general, make sure your doctor isn’t planning an episiotomy, which has more of a chance of injuring your anus than by just letting you tear naturally. That is, your post-birth sex life could be affected by that sort of surgical cut. The April 2006 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology stated the following about episiotomies:

Additionally, there was a general underestimation of potential adverse consequences associated with the procedure, including extension to a third- or fourth-degree tear, anal sphincter dysfunction, and painful sex. Data suggest that women who have an episiotomy do not have significantly improved labor, delivery, and recovery compared with those who do not have one.

(Read more about episiotomies here.)

So go slow, go easy, and have fun!

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