If sodomy is practiced more and more, especially by the younger generation, we still underestimate the risks.

Incontinence, bleeding, sexually transmitted infections (STIs)… Sodomy is a source of many health concerns for women. However, its popularity is exploding. While the practice has long been considered a taboo subject, two British surgeons now want doctors to inform their patients more about the risks it can cause.

According to their article, published in the British Medical Journal and echoed by the Guardian , “many cases of faecal incontinence and anal sphincter injury have been reported in women who engage in anal sex.”

“If [women] present a higher risk of incontinence [than men], it is because of the hormonal effects which differ between men and women and the consequences of pregnancy on the pelvic floor” , specify the surgeons Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt. Another risk factor: “Women have weaker anal sphincters than men and lower anal canal pressure.”

The two practitioners also encourage people to be particularly vigilant in the event of “pain and bleeding following anal intercourse” , as these are often signs “of bodily trauma which can be accentuated if sodomy is forced. “. Especially since “anal sex is a sexual practice considered particularly ‘at risk’ given the links it can have with alcohol and drug use “.

This practice has become more popular over the years, particularly following the broadcast of television series such as Sex and the City (1998-2004) or Fleabag (2016-2019). The growing popularity of anal sex , however, has not led doctors to communicate more about its dangers. And it is this lack of information that is partly responsible for “the carelessness of a whole generation of women on this subject” , worry Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt.

Free the medical word

According to a survey conducted in Britain on sexual attitudes, 28.5% of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who have heterosexual relations practice anal sex , compared to 12.5% ​​a few decades ago. In France, 21% of women frequently practice anal sex , according to an IFOP survey published in December 2019. ” It is no longer considered unusual behavior, but a pleasant experience” , notes Lesley Hunt.

Not wanting to appear homophobic , some doctors struggle to talk to their patients about the risks involved in sodomy. However, not addressing this topic leads women to keep some of their symptoms silent, which puts them at risk of “missed diagnoses, futile treatment and other harms due to a lack of medical advice” , say the two surgeons.

In general, the information communicated by health systems such as the National Health Service in the United Kingdom concerning the risks of anal sex is too partial: only sexually transmitted diseases are mentioned. There is never any mention of trauma, both physical (incontinence, anal tearing) and psychological (feeling forced) that young women often report. This is why several institutions, such as the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, also believe that it is urgent for doctors to speak out on this subject.