Do You Poop During Anal Sex? Sex Experts Explain

Though anal sex can be a highly enjoyable experience, it comes with a lot of hows and whats and dos that you might not know the answer to. While you may think you have some embarrassing questions about the logistics of anal sex, know that you should never be ashamed about any of your curiosities — especially since it’s likely that many other people are thinking or wondering the same thing.

Two common questions you may be wondering are: What’s the possibility of encountering poop during anal sex? And what does pooping after anal look like? Of course, fecal matter is not the most glamorous topic to talk about, but discussing anal sex poop is a valid concern. After all, the anus and rectum are both part of the digestive system.

To answer your questions, we asked experts about what type of anal-sex-poop action you can expect when you have anal sex, including your chances of dealing with poop during anal sex and what it’s like pooping after anal. For more information on anal sex, learn about whether or not anal sex hurts, how to anally masturbate, and how to prepare for anal sex, too.

Experts Featured in This Article

Alicia Sinclair is a certified sex educator and sexuality coach, clinical sexologist, and the founder of b-Vibe anal products.

Lisa Lawless, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and CEO of Holistic Wisdom, a company that offers sexual health education, resources, and products.

Danielle Kramer is a clinical sex therapist.

Is It Normal to Poop During Anal?

While it’s not common for someone to actually poop during anal sex, it is possible you could find some poop remnants transferred onto fingers, sexologist Alicia Sinclair tells PS. This is mainly because of how the digestive tract works.

Stool is typically stored in the colon, a six-foot-long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum, per the Cleveland Clinic. The rectum, a straight chamber about eight inches long, is the last section of the digestive tract before the anus and the place where penetration happens during anal sex. Poop moves from the colon into the rectum in a “mass movement” once or twice a day, giving you the urge to poop. If you can’t release the stool at that moment, the rectum will hold onto it until you can.

All that to say, poop isn’t typically hanging out in the rectum 24/7, though it does move through there to exit the body. Knowing this, there’s always a chance there could be some poop or traces of it in your rectum at any point during anal play.

With that said, shit happens. And if poop shows up in any capacity, the best thing you can do is laugh it off and move on from the situation. “Remain calm and compassionate, and understand going into the experience that it is a realistic possibility. Take time to clean up the area with soap and water to avoid spreading bacteria,” clinical psychologist Lisa Lawless, PhD, says.

Because the chances of dealing with poop during anal in some capacity are pretty high, it’s also wise to make sure you’re engaging in anal sex with a partner who is kind, understanding, patient, and compassionate. “That way, they won’t make a huge deal out of it and you can laugh it off together,” sex therapist Danielle Kramer says.

But most importantly, accept that it’s certainly a possibility you’ll encounter poop during anal sex — and that’s OK. “If you constantly worry that [there will be poop] rather than accepting it as a reality of anal penetration, you won’t be able to relax or enjoy yourself. You can’t experience desire if you’re weighted down with worry and anxiety,” Kramer says.

How to Prevent Anal-Sex Poop

Before engaging in any sort of anal play, it’s important to accept and be OK with the fact that you may deal with some poop during anal sex, in some way, shape, or form. After all, there’s no surefire way to stop poop from showing up in one way or another. Once you’ve accepted that, there are some steps you can take to at least decrease that possibility.

For starters, if you know you’ll be engaging in anal sex later, you can make sure you’re able to go to the bathroom when you need to; when poop moves from your colon into your rectum and gives you the feeling that you need to poop, going to the bathroom (rather than waiting and forcing it to stay inside your rectum) can help keep things clear. You could also go to the bathroom at least an hour before you start to play, Sinclair says. Additionally, you can hop in the shower and clean the area in and around the anus with your finger or a wipe.

If you want more insurance that your playtime will be poop-free, Sinclair recommends investing in enema bulbs. To use an enema, “pour out the laxative solution, rinse the bottle out, and fill it with warm water. Lubricate and insert the nozzle. You can do this on your elbows and knees or while lying on your side. Insert the nozzle, and open the valve or squeeze the bulb. Hold the water for 10 to 15 seconds, and release it into the toilet. You can repeat this a few times if you like. Repeat and then release all the water at once,” Sinclair says.

While all of these options are meant to put your mind at ease, know that none of the above preparation is required for anal play. Do what makes you feel most comfortable and relaxed.

Is Pooping After Anal Normal?

It’s more common to feel like you have to poop after anal sex than it is to feel like you have to poop during anal sex, Kramer says. As a reminder, the urge to poop comes from the rectum filling, and “there are receptors in the rectum that sense the stretching and fullness,” Kramer says. By having anal sex, this stretching and fullness may trigger those receptors, so it’s normal to feel like pooping after anal — and, in fact, you can expect to poop within a few hours after having anal sex, Kramer says.

Things may seem a little off your first few times pooping after anal sex, and that’s OK. For example, some people report feeling gassy or bloated following anal sex, while others report experiencing loose stools. Either way, your poop should begin to look and feel normal again once the rectum has gone back to its normal size after a day or two. Just note that you should not be in pain, there shouldn’t be any blood in the stool, and you shouldn’t have a difficult time pooping — and if any of these symptoms arise, you should seek advice from a healthcare provider ASAP.

Nicole Yi was an associate editor at PS.

Taylor Andrews (she/her) is the balance editor at PS, specializing in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, travel, and more. With seven years of editorial experience, Taylor has a strong background in content creation and storytelling. Prior to joining PS in 2021, she worked at Cosmopolitan.