The two things people fear most when engaging in receptive anal sex are pain and poop. The two dreaded P’s. I’ve done a few informal polls on the subject, and fear of potential poop far exceeds pain. But I’m here to quell those worries, dear reader. Because the fact of the matter is: Poop is far less common than you think.
First, a biology lesson.
Poop rests in the colon, which is located above the rectum. The two are separated by a bend in the intestines known as the rectosigmoid junction. This keeps poop from entering the rectum until you’re ready to defecate.
The rectum is roughly six inches long, and the anal canal (just inside the hole where the sphincter muscles are located) is roughly 2.5 inches. This makes for a combined length of over eight inches. Since the average penis is roughly 5.1 to 5.5 inches, most won’t reach beyond the rectum, where stool is stored.
When you feel the urge to poop, it’s because stool has moved from your colon into the rectum. The rectum is like the body’s holding tank. Once it stretches from the presence of poop, nerves tell your brain it’s time to release the waste. So, in a way, our guts actually rearrange themselves…without a massive cock doing the work.
Allow me to explain: The colon-to-rectum pathway is usually kinked by the puborectalis muscle, like a bend in a hose, which helps keep your poop in that one place. When you sit down to take a poop, that muscle relaxes and the curve straightens. The rectum contracts, the passage opens, and stool moves through with way less resistance. Afterward, the rectum empties and relaxes again.
Any contact with poop would be whatever is left from your most recent bowel movement. And provided you’ve defecated an hour or two prior to intercourse and scrubbed your booty in the shower, there should be minimal if any poop present.
To douche or not to douche.
Most gay men douche. According to research, 66 percent of men who have sex with men have douched in the last three months. But based on what I’ve already shared, douching is not necessary if the proper measures have been taken. But it can certainly boost confidence in knowing you’ve taken added measures to clear the rectum of any stool.
It may also be necessary if you’re bottoming for someone who is particularly hung or you plan to be playing with large toys, in which case you may want to clear the colon as well as the rectum.
What can happen, however (and is surprisingly common), is overdouching, meaning you’ve used too much water or force and the water or solution has reached beyond the rectum and has entered the colon, washing the poop down through the rectum. This makes for a messier situation than if you did nothing at all.
Tips for reducing mess.
As any seasoned bottom will tell you, poop is sometimes inevitable. We all have a poop story. But there are things you can do to reduce the odds of it making an unexpected cameo in your sex scene.
Time sex strategically: If you’ve pooped within the last few hours, the rectum should be clear. This is a good time to hookup. If you’ve just had a big meal, your digestive system might not cooperate. A little patience before playtime can go a long way.
The right supps: Fiber keeps stools formed and bowel movements regular, while water keeps things moving smoothly through your digestive system. The two combined will leave less residue after a bowel movement and make pooping and/or douching a much quicker task.
Gentle rinse, if you like: A small, quick douche with plain lukewarm water can help clear the rectum. Don’t over-do it though.
Why the stigma exists…and persists.
At the end of the day, bottoms fear of poop is way bigger than the reality. The lingering stigma around anal sex being wrong and “dirty” has done more to fuel anxiety than biology ever could, and the occasional horror story gets passed around more than a power bottom at a bathhouse.
The reality is, with simple prep (a recent bowel movement, a quick rinse, some fiber) bottoms are usually far cleaner than the myths would have you believe.