One of the most common questions I get asked about butt play is “is it messy?”  So many people seem to be eager to explore the back door, but are frightened of making a mess.  So I wanted to get frank and address some of the rumors about anal play and poop.

First, we need a brief anatomy lesson. When you’re doing anal play, the main parts of the body that you’re dealing with are the anus (the opening of the butt) and the rectum (the last few inches of the digestive tract). Your body doesn’t actually store fecal matter in the rectum.  Poop might sit in this passage for a short period of time before it’s passed out of the body.  If there are feces in this part of the body, we usually feel the urge to go to the bathroom.  So unless you feel like you’ve got “one in the chamber”, there’s unlikely to be any poop in the rectum when you go to play.

That being said, from time to time there can still be traces of fecal matter that hang around in this part of the body.  This is largely dependent on your diet, level of hydration and hygiene.  If there are traces left behind, you might see some small spots or streaks during anal penetration.  This is perfectly normal and not something to worry about.

If you’re anxious about encountering poop during anal play, there are a whole host of things that you can do to reduce the likelihood of a code brown situation.

• Pay attention to your body’s signals.  If you’re feeling backed up, or if you’ve had an upset stomach, postpone play until you’re feeling better.
• Plan ahead.  Decide with your partner when anal play will be taking place so that you can monitor your diet and prepare appropriately.
• Avoid foods that you know speed up your bowels or make you gassy such as spicy foods or coffee.  Maintain a healthy diet and good hydration to make sure your bowels are in tip-top order.
• Shower before you play.  Use a well-soaped finger to gently wash the outside of the anus and then carefully probe inside to help clear out any stray bits of poop or toilet paper that might be clinging on.
• If you’re really concerned about cleanliness, you can do an enema several hours before you play.  Watts the Safeword did a great video on preparing for butt play.
• Use barriers such as condoms and gloves for easier clean-up.  Aside from being essential for safer sex if you and your partner aren’t fluid-bonded, having a barrier can help reduce squeamishness if you’re worried about coming into contact with any waste products.

While anal play carries a lot of fear regarding mess and humiliation, in actual fact it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll encounter any poop during your explorations.  There are plenty of things that you can do to make your playtime much tidier and ease your own mind.  Even though it’s not likely that you’ll make a mess, taking precautions and preparing for play can help to ease your mind, thereby making it much more enjoyable.  You need to be able to relax in order to really enjoy butt play, so anything you can do to address your fears will make your explorations a more pleasurable experience.