Planned Parenthood

Someone asked us: 

What are the potential risks of rimming and how do you prevent them? 

Analingus, rimming, tossing salad, and rusty trombone (which I still can’t say without giggling) are all terms for oral-to-anal sex. Most of the STDs you can get from regular old oral sex – herpes, HPV, syphilis, hepatitis, etc. – can also be spread through analingus. Along with STDs, rimming comes with a special set of health risks (like E. coli and intestinal parasites) because of potential contact with, well, poop germs.

Giving your b-hole a good rub-a-dub-dub before analingus can help remove residual fecal matter. Be gentle and only use mild soaps and soft cloths to avoid irritating and scraping your caboose, which can up your STD risk. But even the most thorough of cleanings won’t completely eliminate poop-based 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, plastic wrap, or a condom cut up the side and opened flat. A little dab of water-based or silicone lube on the butt side of the barrier can increase sensation and pleasure for the receiver.

Rubber or nitrile gloves are other great accessories for anal stuff, especially if you also want to use your fingers. You can even use a glove to craft homemade dams by snipping off the four fingers, cutting the glove up the side opposite the thumb, and laying the open glove over your partner’s genitals — the remaining thumb tube is a great place for a tongue or finger, while the rest of the material protects the mouth, anus, and genitals.

Finally, never put anything (fingers, penis, sex toys, etc.) that’s been in an anus directly into the vagina or mouth, because butt germs can make you sick and cause vaginal infections. Cross-contamination can easily be prevented by changing out rubber gloves and condoms between sex acts, and washing your genitals and hands right after contact with an anus (make sure you scrub under those fingernails, too!)

-Kendall at Planned Parenthood