Long accepted in the homosexual realm, where there have been “tops” and “bottoms” for almost as long as geometry has existed, anal sex is still considered something of a unicorn in the American heterosexual landscape.
Although ubiquitous in pornography, anal intercourse is perceived as difficult to get and to receive. But what do the statistics show about the prevalence of butt sex and its enjoyability?
Key Anal Sex Stats
- 82% of women report that anal sex was first suggested by their male partner.
- 35.9% of women report having had anal sex at least once in their lifetime.
- 42.3% of men and report having had anal sex at least once in their lifetime.
- 14% of men aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
- 10% of women aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
- 47% of heterosexual men and 38.5% of heterosexual women aged 18-44 say they have had anal sex.
- 25% of women report being forced into anal sex on at least one occasion.
- 11% of women say the idea for anal sex was theirs.
- Women’s positive reactions to anal sex includes liking the sensation and feeling greater intimacy with a partner.
- Negative responses to anal sex include feeling pain and shame.
- 28% of people in one study said that substances influenced their experience of anal pleasure.
- 14 states still have anti-sodomy laws in place, even between consenting adults.
What Counts as Anal Sex?
How Many Americans Have Tried Anal Sex?
How Often Do Americans Have Butt Sex Each Month?
How Many Americans Have Tried Pegging?
How Many Women Have Tried Anal Sex?
Why Women Enjoy and Want Anal Sex
Why Some Women Dislike Anal Sex
Why (Straight) Men Want to Have Anal Sex (with Their Woman)
What Types of Anal Sex Have Americans Tried?
What Types of Anal Play has Each Generation Tried?
How Comfortable Are Americans Discussing Anal Sex?
How Many Gay Men Have Topped or Bottomed?
Which Types of Butt Sex Have Gay, Straight, and Bisexuals Have Tried?
Health Risks of Anal Sex
What Counts as Anal Sex?
You might be surprised to hear that, for the purposes of research, anal sex is defined as any play involving the anus. This means butt play can include the use of toys, fingers, and a tongue, not just anal penetration with a penis.
How Many Americans Have Tried Anal Sex?
The numbers vary but typically more than one-third of the American population say they have tried anal sex.
- 42.3% of men and 35.9% of women report having had anal sex at least once in their lifetime according to a study.
Nonetheless, anal sex is not a frequent practice in the bedroom. A study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that
- 14% of men aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
- 10% of women aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
Source
How have anal sex statistics changed over time in America?
- As many as 40% of couples say they’ve tried anal sex.
- In the 1950s, fewer than 15% of Americans reported having anal sex.
- In the early 1990s, 9% of women reported having anal intercourse in the past year.
- A 2010 study showed that 13.2% of women reported having anal sex in the past year.
Source
Anal sex might be more prevalent among heterosexual couples than you’d think.
- 47% of heterosexual men and 38.5% of heterosexual women aged 18-44 say they have had anal sex in their lifetime.
The following table shows how the numbers break down by age group:
| Percentage of heterosexuals who have tried anal with a partner of the opposite gender | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | |||
| Gender | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 |
| Male | 29.30% | 49.30% | 44.80% |
| Female | 28.40% | 38.50% | 39.00% |
Source
- Many college-age people associate anal sex with less commitment than vaginal sex
- Older adults see anal sex as an indication of trust and love in a partnership.
It seems this change in perception of butt play over the lifespan might have something to do with the perceived risks of pregnancy.
In fact, try doing a search for “Do people have anal sex to avoid getting pregnant?” and
- 100% of first- and second-page results are for “Can I get pregnant from anal sex?”
There are a lot of naive (or young) people out there very concerned about pregnancy and butt penetration. This might also mean there are a lot more people trying anal sex, or wondering about it.
Anal intercourse might also be associated with sexual promiscuity, or a woman who is hungry to please her partner at all costs.
Here the prevalence of anal in pornography might also play a role of perpetuating fantasies of anal intercourse – and its practice by loose couples not in a committed relationship.
The popular perception is that men initiate or pressure women into having anal sex, and the research data bear this out.
- 82% of women report that anal sex was first suggested by their male partner.
- 11% of women say the idea of anal sex was theirs.
- 25% of women report being forced into anal sex on at least one occasion.
How Often Do Americans Have Butt Sex Each Month?
Although many people have tried it, anal sex is not exactly a common practice. Numbers vary, but generally under a third of women say they’ve had anal in the recent past.
- 13.2% of women reported having anal sex in the past year.
- This is about in line with a 2021 study that found that
- 14% of men aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
- 10% of women aged 18-70 have had anal sex in the past month.
- Although lower than a 2009 that suggests that 32% of women had anal sex within the past year.
Source
It’s safe to say that less than a third of women regularly have anal sex, although we would be interested in seeing that broken down by age.
How Many Americans Have Tried Pegging?
Pegging involves a woman penetrating a partner with a strap-on dildo. It’s a special brand of sex that certainly has some people wondering.
A 2018 survey asked 500 Americans about their sexual fantasies.
- 20% of American adults surveyed said they’d fantasized about pegging.
A more comprehensive study found that:
- Of 4,000 Americans surveyed,
- 60% of men had fantasized about received anal sex
- 40% of women had fantasized about giving anal penetration.
Perhaps these increased numbers reflect the inclusion of homosexual fantasies, not just a hetero woman with a male partner (which is the strict definition of pegging).
There are no long and hard numbers on how many couples have tried pegging, but
- Prostate massage toy sales are up 56% since 2017.
…So a lot of people are investing in anal stimulation.
The prostrate is also known as the male g-spot, a bundle of nerves a couple inches within the male rectum.
It’s known for giving mind-blowing orgasms and you’re completely normal to be curious. Exploring body fun like this does not make you gay.
Source
How Many Women Have Tried Anal Sex?
The numbers vary but well over 30% of Americans say they have tried anal sex over the course of their sexual lives.
- 35.9% of women report having had anal sex at least once in their lifetime according to a study.
Why Women Enjoy and Want Anal Sex
Some heterosexual couples associate anal as a male power-play while others regard anal play as a sign of loving trust, a “gift” exchanged between partners.
Certain times, women have anal sex for certain reasons. These include:
- To avoid vaginal sex (women on their period, having discharge, etc.)
- A woman who wants to please her partner
- Anal sex is sometimes considered more intimate than vaginal sex and for special partners
- Anal sex can happen more often under the influence of drugs or alcohol
| Women’s reports of experiencing anal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive physical | Positive emotional | Negative physical | Negative emotional |
| “Liked the sensation” | “More intimate” | “Painful” | “Shame” |
| “No side effects” | “Only for a special partner” | “Started too fast/Not enough time to relax” | “Disgust” |
Source
Given these starkly divergent reactions, perhaps it’s not surprising that substance use has been found to play a role in the practice of anal sex.
- 28% of people in one study said that substances influenced their experience of anal pleasure.
Why Some Women Dislike Anal Sex
Not only is anal intercourse not always pleasurable for both parties, it’s still an active taboo in many parts of America. In fact, anal intercourse is still outlawed in a number of American states.
- 14 states still have anti-sodomy laws in place, and that’s typically between consenting adults.
With its dynamics of pleasure and pain, power and servility, and even fluctuating legality, it’s no wonder that people take an extra drink or toke on the way to experiencing anal.
- 77.6% of women have had a bad experience with anal.
Why (Straight) Men Want to Have Anal Sex (with Their Woman)
Why do heterosexual men like anal sex, anyway? A survey found a few reasons:
- Variety. Who doesn’t want to spice things up?
- Intimacy. Some people feel anal intercourse is “more raw” and shows devotion on the part of the woman.
- Experimentation. Why not give it a try? You might like it.
- Forbidden fruit. Overcoming taboos can be sexy.
- Domination/submission. Anal intercourse can be a power dynamic.
Source
Anal sex has a number of things going for it. It’s the cunnilingus of the 21st century. (Oral sex used to be taboo and in fact still is, in some places.)
One unmentioned factor is that the anus is muscled differently than the vagina and hence can provide a tighter or just a different fit.
We’re not saying heterosexual men are trying to replace vaginal sex. We’re just coming back to the variety and increased rawness of it.
What Types of Anal Sex Have Americans Tried?
As mentioned before, anal sex technically includes any type of anal-rectal stimulation, not just penetration. In a 2022 study:
- 40% of women like ‘anal surfacing’: being caressed there by a partner or sex toy without penetration.
- About 35% of women have enjoyed ‘anal shallowing’, which is being lightly penetrated in the anus by a partner sex toy, no more than about the first inch.
- 40% of women choose ‘anal pairing’: having their anus caressed or penetrated coinciding with other sex acts, such as vaginal sex or clitoral caresses.
What Types of Anal Play has Each Generation Tried?
As mentioned above, anal sex is gaining ground. There seems to be a generational difference in perception of butt play for hetero couples.
Younger heterosexual couples see anal almost casually, perhaps due to its prevalence in porn, while the lower numbers from the 1990s suggest that older generations see it as more taboo.
- In its 2022 Year in Review, PornHub reports that the “Anal” category is in the top 5 most viewed worldwide.
The question is, if anal intercourse becomes more mainstream, will it cease to be taboo? Will it no longer be a “gift” or proof of intimacy?
That begs the follow-up question: will hetero couples in the next generations practice anal sex less frequently, or more?
Some researchers say they’ve already found a type of woman who’s most likely to engage in anal sex:
- In her twenties,
- reports no religious affiliation,
- earns more money,
- and has a higher level of education.
Anal intercourse was also more common among married women than single.
From the same study, other factors that played into a woman’s likelihood to have anal sex include:
- They’ve had sex with another woman.
- They’ve had an unintentional pregnancy.
- They lost their virginity before the age of 16.
- Being treated for an STI within the past year.
Draw your own conclusions, but we’re seeing a profile of an independent and perhaps sexually adventurous young woman who might need to be encouraged to use a condom.
Parallel to that is a trend for older, married women to experiment with anal sex. Again: People in long-term relationships get creative.
Source
How Comfortable Are Americans Discussing Anal Sex?
We noted a slight rise in anal sex, from
- 9% of women reporting anal intercourse in the past year in the early 1990s.
- To 13.2% of women reported having anal sex in the past year in a 2010 study.
Now, this might actually be due to women becoming more comfortable talking about having anal sex.
Comfort in talking about one’s sex life is a baseline problem with these types of survey studies. How else can we explain this discrepancy:
- 47% of heterosexual men and 38.5% of heterosexual women aged 18-44 say they have had anal sex.
That higher number of men might be bragging (or experimenting with anal with men and saying it was a woman), or hetero women aren’t fessing up to having anal sex.
Also, certain studies self-select a certain group of people without intention to do so.
One study might target a population who’s more open to talking about sex, while others reflect more of an American average.
For example, a poll found that
- One third of 2,000 Americans felt “very comfortable” talking about their sex lives with others.
What this poll really shows is that shoppers at a sex-toy company are more comfortable discussing sex.
No big surprise there.
How Many Gay Men Have Topped or Bottomed?
Cultural magazines have reported lately that it’s incorrect to assume that gay men always have anal sex.
This type of article also stresses that “top” and “bottom” are fluid and not fixed aspects of a male homosexual relationship.
Which Types of Butt Sex Have Gay, Straight, and Bisexuals Have Tried?
- 35-40% of women enjoy an array of anal play, be it surface play, light penetration, or pairing anal play with another sexual act (like vaginal sex).
In a vast survey of almost 25,000 gay and bisexual men in America, gay men reported relatively infrequent penetrative sex.
- 35.5% of men received anal sex within the last 30 days.
- 33.8% of participants gave anal intercourse.
Allowing for some discrepancies in memory or honesty, it seems about one third of gay male couples has anal intercourse regularly.
We’re guessing this is supplemented by other types of anal play, such as rimming and the use of toys, or perhaps mutual masturbation and penis play.
Conclusion
Can anal sex cause HIV? No, anal sex is not a cause for any STI, but the risks of STI transmission – including HIV – are higher with anal than vaginal intercourse.
This is because the lining of the anus is thinner and tears more easily than the vagina, allowing for infection.
Health Risks of Anal Sex
There are some risks associated with penetrating a cavity that wasn’t necessarily made to undergo penetration.
- Rectal bleeding from anal fissures or tears, which is typically not serious.
- Hemorrhoids can form after anal intercourse.
- Bleeding is also a symptom of gonorrhea of the rectum.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea can affect both penis and rectum.
- Many STIs are more easily transmitted by anal penetration than by vaginal intercourse. This is because the wall of the anus is thinner and can tear, allowing for opportunistic infection.
Many people see condom use as optional during heterosexual anal sex, for there is no risk of pregnancy.
- As many as 82% of women reported not using a condom the first time they had anal intercourse.
However, given the risk for disease, staying safe is the way to go unless you’re exploring with a committed partner.
Curious about anal? Have a talk with your sex partner and grab some lube or slap a condom on that bad boy. Keep it slow and playful (or intimate) and be open to enjoying it.
You, too, could join the roughly 10% of Americans who have regular anal sex.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Out Magazine
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Insider
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Playboy
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Journal of Sex Research
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About Katherin Winnick
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