“Ouch! it Hurts”: An Approach About the Factors Contributing to the Experience of Pain During Receptive Anal Intercourse

Extract

Introduction & Objectives

Anal sexuality has been historically pervaded by a plethora of dogmas and taboos. Although the prevalence of anal intercourse has significantly increased regardless of the sexual orientation of those who practice it, little has been written about difficulties that may impede the experience of pleasure during anal sexual performance. Pain during receptive anal intercourse, also called anoreceptive pain, is one of the most common complaints among those who engage in anal intercourse. This systematic review aimed to analyze the biological, psychological and situational factors that lead to the experience of pain during anoreceptive intercourse.

Methods

A bibliographic survey was developed through Brazil's Portal of Scientific Journals of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel which enables access to different databases across the globe. Only nine papers that directly analyze the experience of anoreceptive pain were found.

Results

The etiology of anoreceptive pain is due to an overlapping among multiple biological, psychological and situational factors. The main biological factors are the presence of anorectal diseases and the mismatching between the insertive partner's penis size and the receptive partner's anorectal anatomy. The receptive partner's lack of relaxation and arousal and the absence of intimacy and sexual experience are the keynote psychological factors associated to the experience of anoreceptive pain. Situational factors like insufficient lubrication, absence of anal foreplay, the “doggy style” sexual position and the increasing thrust of penetration exacerbate the experience of anoreceptive pain. The use of poppers, the administration of enema and high levels of internalized homophobia seem to play an important role in the pain/pleasure principle of receptive anal intercourse.