Anilingus

{{Short description|Orally stimulating the anus of another person}}

Anilingus (also spelled analingus){{cite book|title=The Contemporary Dictionary of Sexual Euphemisms|author=Jordan Tate|year=2007|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-36298-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/contemporarydict00tate/page/8 8–9, 106]|url=https://archive.org/details/contemporarydict00tate/page/8}}{{cite book|title=Anal Pleasure & Health: A Guide for Men and Women|author =Jack Morin|year=2000|publisher=Down There Press|isbn=0-940208-20-2|page=147}} is an oral and anal sex act (anal–oral contact or anal–oral sex) in which one person stimulates the anus of another by using their tongue or lips.{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Bhushan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kQ9tAwAAQBAJ&dq=%E2%80%9Canilingus%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9Clips%E2%80%9D&pg=PA612 |title=Sexually Transmitted Infections – E-book |last2=Gupta |first2=Somesh |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |year=2013 |isbn=978-8-13122-978-1 |page=612 |access-date=13 September 2023}}{{cite book |last1=LeVay |first1=Simon |last2=Valente |first2=Sharon|title = Human sexuality| publisher = Oxford University Press, Incorporated |year = 2006|page=263|access-date = 30 September 2023 |isbn= 978-0-87893-465-2 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=aQNHAAAAMAAJ&q=%E2%80%9Canilingus%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9Cbetween+the+mouth%E2%80%9D}}

The anus has a relatively high concentration of nerve endings and can be an erogenous zone, and so the recipient may receive pleasure from external anal stimulation, whereas pleasure for the giver is usually based more on the principle of the act.{{cite book |last=Newman |first=Felice |title=The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us |publisher=Cleis Press Inc. |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-57344-199-5 |page=174}}{{cite book |author=Taormino, Tristan |author-link=Tristan Taormino |title=The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women |publisher=Cleis Press Inc. |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-57344-221-3 |page=92}} People may engage in anilingus for its own sake, before anal penetration, or as part of foreplay. All sexual orientations may participate in the act. Studies confirm anilingus to be one of the sexual practices between women,{{cite journal |vauthors=Diamant AL, Lever J, Schuster M |title=Lesbians' Sexual Activities and Efforts to Reduce Risks for Sexually Transmitted Diseases |journal=J Gay Lesbian Med Assoc |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=41–8 |date=Jun 2000 |doi=10.1023/A:1009513623365 |s2cid=140505473 }} though only practiced by a minority.{{cite book | title = Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment | publisher = Jones & Bartlett Publishers | year = 2011 | pages = 329–330 | access-date = 14 May 2014 | isbn = 978-0-495-81294-4 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lO5BND02eBwC&pg=PA329 | author1 = Jonathan Zenilman | author2 = Mohsen Shahmanesh | archive-date = 12 March 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170312224711/https://books.google.com/books?id=lO5BND02eBwC&pg=PA329 | url-status = live }}

Safer sex practices generally revolve around hygiene so as to prevent fecal–oral route transmission of diseases. Extra precautions include STI testing, dental dams, or enemas.

Slang terms

Analingus is also known in slang terminology as rimming (or rim job), eating ass, or tossing the salad. The origin of "tossing a salad" is not entirely known, but it is used in prison slang in the United States prison system, where performing anilingus on another inmate is one way of paying dues or gaining favor.{{Cite journal |last1=Byrne |first1=J. |last2=Hummer |first2=D. |year=2007 |title=In search of the "Tossed Salad Man" (and others involved in prison violence): New strategies for predicting and controlling violence in prison |journal=Aggression and Violent Behavior |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=531 |doi=10.1016/j.avb.2007.02.001}}Marc Levin for HBO (1996). {{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272256/ |title=Prisoners of the War on Drugs |website=IMDb |access-date=30 August 2013 |archive-date=8 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208234744/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272256/ |url-status=live}}

Etymology

The term anilingus comes from the Latin words {{lang|la|anus}} and {{lang|la|-lingus}}, from {{lang|la|lingere}}, meaning "to lick"{{cite book|last1=Carroll |first1=Janell L. |last2= Wolpe|first2= Paul|title = Sexuality and Gender in Society | publisher = HarperCollins College Publishers |year = 1996|page=325|access-date = 16 September 2023 |isbn= 978-0-06-500872-2 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=7_oss1XXYbsC&q=%E2%80%9Canalingus%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9CLatin%E2%80%9D}} and is based on the pattern of cunnilingus.{{cite web|title=Anilingus Definition & Meaning|access-date=16 September 2023|publisher=Dictionary.com|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/anilingus}} It entered English through the 1899 F. J. Rebman translation of Edition 10 of sexologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing's 1886 book Psychopathia Sexualis.{{cite book |first=Mark |last=Forsyth |title=The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language |publisher=Icon Books |year=2011 |page=49}}{{Cite OED|anilingus|access-date=16 July 2018}}

Practice

Anilingus can involve a variety of techniques to stimulate the anus, including use of the lips or licking; it may also involve the tongue moving around the edge of the anus or up and down the insides of the cheeks of the buttocks. Insertion of the tongue into the rectum is another possible technique.{{cite book|last1=Bullough |first1=Bonnie |last2= Bullough|first2= Vern|title = Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia | publisher = Taylor and Francis|year = 2014|page=27|access-date = 13 September 2023 |isbn= 978-1-135-82502-7 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-cqlAgAAQBAJ&dq=%E2%80%9Canilingus%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9Ctongue%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%9Cpenetrate%E2%80%9D&pg=PA27}}

Health risks and prevention

= Health risk =

Anilingus has potential health risks arising from the oral contact with feces. Diseases which may be transmitted by contact with feces include: bacterial diseases including shigellosis (bacillary dysentery); viral systemic diseases including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, poliomyelitis, human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus; parasites including intestinal parasites; and infections and inflammations chlamydia infection, gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, gonorrhea, lymphogranuloma venereum{{cite web|url=http://lgbt.foundation/get-support/for-men/think-you-have-an-sti-/Lymphogranuloma-Venereum|title=Lymphogranuloma Venereum – LGBT Foundation|author=LGBT Foundation|work=lgbt.foundation|access-date=25 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120609/http://lgbt.foundation/get-support/for-men/think-you-have-an-sti-/Lymphogranuloma-Venereum|archive-date=26 June 2015|url-status=dead}} and other sexually transmitted infections.{{Cite web |url=http://www.uhs.uga.edu/sexualhealth/oral_sex.html#safe |title=Is Oral Sex Safe? |publisher=University Health Center at the University of Georgia |access-date=12 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010145522/http://www.uhs.uga.edu/sexualhealth/oral_sex.html |archive-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}

Applying the mouth to the genitals immediately after applying it to the anus can introduce the bacterium Escherichia coli ("E. coli") into the urethra, leading to a urinary tract infection. HIV/AIDS is not believed to be easily transmitted through anilingus.{{Cite web |url=http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/whats-rimming |title=What's Rimming? |publisher=Columbia University's internet health service |access-date=12 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714051811/http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/whats-rimming |archive-date=14 July 2016 |url-status=dead}}

Anilingus with a number of casual partners increases the health risks associated with the practice. Generally, people carrying infections that may be passed on during anilingus appear healthy. Parasites may be in the feces if undercooked meat was consumed. The feces contain traces of hepatitis A only if the infected person has eaten contaminated food.

= Prevention =

Safe sex practices may include thorough washing of the anal region before anilingus to wash away most external fecal particles and reduce the risk of contraction of fecal-sourced infection. An enema can also reduce the risk of direct fecal contact.{{cite magazine |last = Castleman |first = Michael |date = 27 April 2010 |title = Rimming: The curious couple's guide to oral-anal play |magazine = Psychology Today |access-date = 23 November 2012 |url = https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/all-about-sex/201004/rimming-the-curious-couples-guide-to-oral-anal-play |archive-date = 25 January 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220125035723/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-sex/201004/rimming-the-curious-couples-guide-oral-anal-play |url-status = live }} A dental dam may also be used, and another safe sex practice is to avoid unprotected sex which involves fellatio after anal intercourse.

If the receiving partner has wounds or open sores on the genitals, or if the giving partner has wounds or open sores on or in the mouth, or bleeding gums, this poses an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. Brushing the teeth, flossing, undergoing dental work, and eating crunchy foods (such as potato chips) relatively soon before or after performing anilingus also increases the risk of transmission, because all of these activities can cause small scratches on the inside of the lips, cheeks, and palate. These wounds, even when they are microscopic, increase the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections that can be transmitted orally under these conditions.