Because the anus is intimately involved in defecation, many people assume that oral-anal contact must involve contact with feces. You could be the best butt wiper ever and still leave traces of fecal material in the primacies. Don’t let this scare you off from experiences anal bliss.

Careful personal hygiene minimizes exposure. Most fecal material is stored above the rectum in the descending colon. Stool passes out of body pretty fast once we get the urge. All traces of defecation can easily be washed out.

Another important consideration is the possibility of analingus exposing the giver to digestive tract bacteria. As you already know, this area stores millions of bacteria. They do assist in digestion, but can also cause an infection. This is why a standard recommendation is that anything that comes into contact with the anus should not then touch the vulva or vagina.

The digestive tract might also contain other harmful micro-organisms that can be spread during oral-anal contact. These include:

·         HIV and hepatitis A are two of the most known contracted sexually transmitted diseases. As you may already know, HIV typically spreads through blood-to-blood contact. Because the anus is so sensitive, it can bleed very easily. If HIV-contaminated blood enters the mouth of a someone who has a minor injury -- bleeding gums, for example -- the infection might be transmitted.

·          Shigella and Salmonella are two major ones. These are the same bacteria that cause food poisoning.

·         Intestinal parasites, notably Giardia lamblia, and amoebas, both of which cause diarrhea.

This sounds like a lot of scary responsibilities to take on. If you know that this is a sexual activity that you really want to participate in, all you have to do is follow a few simple precautions.

·         Make it fun. Get in the shower with your partner. Before any sexual encounter involving oral-anal play, the area around and inside the anus should be carefully washed with soap and water. This can be used as foreplay. You may even feel more comfortable if you actually clean your partners anus yourself to ensure that it is as clean as possible.

·         This may seem extreme, but perhaps you should do an enema before you share this sexual activity with your partner. For an extra margin of hygiene safety, the recipient might want to try an enema before washing. Basically the purpose of an enema is to rinse the rectum and anal canal, removing most traces of fecal material. It is not a difficult process. Go to a pharmacy and find a disposable. The instructions are self explanatory.

·         Use dental dams. These nifty little things are thick sheets of latex rubber that work like a condom, acting as a physical barrier between the anus and the mouth. It may seem weird at first, but they can be incorporated into analingus easily with a little practice and a sense of humor. You can buy them over the counter.

·         Rinse after. After analingus without a dam, be sure to rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash or, at the very least, water.