Episode 2: B is for Butt Stuff Why do straight women engage in anal intercourse?
CORRECTION: At the end of the video, Rob and Angel (1:31:00) answer a listener question about anal fluids and risk. Rob says that anal sex is 400x riskier than vaginal sex for HIV transmission, but said he thought he was misremembering that statistic. So, we looked it up. He was misremembering. According to a Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) review of several HIV meta-analyses, risk of HIV transmission is up to 18x higher from receptive anal sex than from receptive vaginal sex.
https://www.catie.ca/en/pif/summer-2012/putting-number-it-risk-exposure-hiv
Where did that first, high number come from?
Studies have shown that viral loads are up to 500% higher in rectal secretions (the mucous membrane fluid near the rectum) than in blood and up to 2500% higher than in semen!
Should I be worried about HIV rectal secretions? https://www.hivplusmag.com/sex-dating/2017/1/04/should-i-be-worried-about-hiv-rectal-secretions
Zuckerman, R. A., Whittington, W. L., Celum, C. L., Collis, T. K., Lucchetti, A. J., Sanchez, J. L., ... & Coombs, R. W. (2004). Higher concentration of HIV RNA in rectal mucosa secretions than in blood and seminal plasma, among men who have sex with men, independent of antiretroviral therapy. The Journal of infectious diseases, 190(1), 156-161. https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/190/1/156/2191562
i-base Viral Load Guide http://i-base.info/guides/testing/viral-load
4. Getting to the Bottom of It: Anal sex, rectal fluid, and HIV transmission https://www.catie.ca/en/pif/fall-2014/getting-bottom-it-anal-sex-rectal-fluid-and-hiv-transmission#footnote8_3tk2r8q
Links and Resources:
The Article: Reynolds, G. L., Fisher, D. G., & Rogala, B. (2015). Why women engage in anal intercourse: results from a qualitative study. Archives of sexual behavior, 44(4), 983–995. doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0367-2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4379393/
This link has the images of the graphs we discussed in it as well.
Twitter thread from @dmalebranche re: language around anal sex sexual encounters and HIV risk
https://twitter.com/DMalebranche/status/1211270578382032896?s=20
Booty Basics and Backdoor BDSM
https://professorsex.com/blog/booty-basics-and-backdoor-bdsm-anal-play-for-everyone
This link has the anal anatomy photos I talked about on the show.
The Great Lube Episode: https://youtu.be/NAncWg2jFuE
Satisyfer anal plug set I talked about during the Kink Crate promo
https://www.kinkcrate.com/shop/plugs/
Supplemental Reading:
Bottom’s Up: Exploring Anal Play Beyond Penetration
https://professorsex.com/blog/bottom-s-up-exploring-anal-play-beyond-penetration
Teen Vogue: A guide to anal sex:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/anal-sex-what-you-need-to-know
Scarleteen: Anal sex low down
https://www.scarleteen.com/article/advice/anal_sex_lowdown
Scarleteen: Meet your prostrate
https://www.scarleteen.com/article/advice/meet_your_prostate
The B-Vibe guide to Anal Play:
https://www.bvibe.com/anal-sex-guide
This episode is sponsored by Kink Crate (KinkCrate.com). Podcast listeners can sign up and get 35% off their first crate by using code: AtoZ. Kink Crate is a monthly subscription box service, for adults, that contains kink and BDSM products, personal items, candy, stickers and other creative treats. Every month, for less than $50 (which includes shipping) your Kink Crate will be packed with 5 to 9 items, a kinky new theme, as well as the informative Kink Crate Handbook which often features content from Professor Sex. The handbook is the ultimate guide to your monthly crate, it will give you info on your items, useful tips for how to use them, and other pleasure-based sex ed content. Multiple crate options are available for every kind of couple and they also have a “single ladies” crate option. There’s no contract, so you can join or quit anytime you like. Kink Crate announces their themes every month, so you get a hint about what they’re up to, but the specific contents of the boxes are always a surprise.
You can see Angel unbox some past Kink Crates on our YouTube channel
https://youtu.be/ZdSdh0M5j_w
https://youtu.be/scGGQCobct0
and read many articles that have featured in their handbook on the Professor Sex blog.
https://professorsex.com/blog/come-to-your-senses-engaging-all-your-senses-to-enhance-sexual-desire-and-pleasure
Kink Crate Giveaway Details:
Kink Crate is also giving away a Naughty Librarian crate box to one lucky Sex from A to Z listener. To enter to win, subscribe to the podcast or the YouTube channel and email us a screenshot and your contact info. (Email to info@professorsex.com) Refer a friend who subscribes and enters, and if they tell us you sent them each new friend will count as an additional entry for you. US Shipping only (sorry, friends). Contest ends on February 5, 2020 and winners will be announced on the podcast on February 7.
About “Sex from A to Z”
"Sex from A to Z" is a sex science podcast discussing in plain language the actual studies that inform how sex therapists, sex researchers, sex educators, and medical professionals make decisions about sexual health and wellness. On each episode we take a deep dive into a different piece of peer-reviewed literature, break it down and explore the social, scientific, and personal implications. This is a podcast for anyone interested in understanding the psychological, medical, and other scientific research behind sexual issues that impact all of us.
“Sex from A to Z” is hosted by Angel Russell and Dr. Robert Zeglin, and produced by Steven Russell. Art for the podcast was created by Angel Russell. We will post links to all the articles we discuss and additional resources for exploring each topic. You can watch on YouTube or listen anywhere you find your favorite podcasts. To check out other episodes, updates, show links, and additional content, go to: ProfessorSex.com/podcast.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
