Oral-anal contact, also called analingus or rimming, can be very pleasurable to people of all genders. The entire butt, from the cheeks to the crack to the anus itself, is one big erogenous zone for many folks. Kissing, licking, sucking and otherwise working this sensitive area with the lips and tongue can feel great and be very arousing. While some of you reading this column are nodding your heads in agreement, others are reflexively saying, "Ewww! With that view, of course we might be a little shy about putting our mouths there.
In reality, with good regular hygiene, the external opening to and just inside of the anal canal are pretty clean. Poop does not tend to hang out there; it hangs out in the colon until you are ready to have a bowel movement, when it moves from the colon into the rectum and then out the anal canal.
If you or your partner wash the anus regularly with very mild soapy water possibly even swirling a soapy finger gently just inside the anal opening , you can reasonably set aside any fear of feces. For some people, the taboo of doing something "dirty" or forbidden is part of what makes rimming so much fun. As with other kinds of sexual activity, there is a risk of sexually transmitted infections STIs through oral-anal contact, and if you do come in contact with feces, there is a risk of gastrointestinal illness as well.
To minimize this, you can use a latex, plastic or polyurethane barrier between your mouth and your partner's anus. And if you're the squeamish type, using a barrier can also get rid of any lingering negative feelings you might have about oral-anal contact.
Dental dams are rectangles of latex or polyurethane that are designed to prevent the spread of STIs during analingus or cunnilingus. To use, put some lube on the side of the dam that will be against your partner's butt to increase sensation for her and hold the dam in place with your hands while you stimulate her with your mouth and tongue. You can use flavored lube on the side of the dam that you're licking, if you like.
