Doctors' reluctance to discuss anal sex frustrates young women, researchers warn

Clinicians are reluctant to discuss the possibility of anal sex Harm Today

Researchers at The BMJ warn that this is disappointing a generation of young women who are unaware of the risks.

Surgeons Tabitha Gana and Lesley Hunt argue that as anal sex becomes more common among heterosexual couples , failing to discuss it “exposes women to underdiagnosis, ineffective treatment, and further harm from lack of medical advice.”

They say healthcare professionals, especially general practitioners, gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons, “have a responsibility to acknowledge the social changes surrounding anal sex in young women and to respond to them through an open, neutral and non-judgmental dialogue, To ensure that all women have the information they need to make informed sexual choices.”

In the UK, Nationwide The Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle Survey shows that over the past few decades, participation in heterosexual anal sex among 16- to 24-year-olds has risen from 12.5% ​​to 28.5%. There is a similar trend in the United States, where 30-44% of men and women report having anal sex.

Young women cited pleasure, curiosity, pleasing male partners, and compulsion as factors. As many as 25% of women who experience anal sex report that they have been coerced at least once.

Anal intercourse is considered a risky sex because of its association with alcohol, drug use and multiple sexual partners . But it’s also linked to specific health problems, the authors explain.

For example, rates of fecal incontinence and reported anal sphincter damage in women who have anal sex. Women also have a higher risk of incontinence than men due to differences in anatomy.

“Women with pain and bleeding report trauma after anal sex and may be at increased risk if anal sex is forced,” The author writes.

Effective management of anorectal disease requires an understanding of underlying risk factors, and a good medical history is key, they said. However, clinicians may shy away from these discussions, influenced by social taboos.

In addition, NHS patient information on anal sex only considers sexually transmitted diseases and does not mention anal trauma, incontinence or coercion Young women report psychological consequences related to this activity.

“Maybe it’s not just avoidance or stigma that prevents health professionals from talking to young women about the risks of anal sex. Really concerned The message could be viewed as judgmental or even misinterpreted as homophobic,” they note. “However, by avoiding these discussions, we may be disappointing a generation of young women who are unaware of the risks.”

“With better information, women who want anal sex will be able to more effectively protect themselves from possible harm, while women who grudgingly agree to anal sex to meet social expectations or to please their partner may feel more empowered,” said No,” they concluded.