How To Have An Anal Orgasm: 35 Tips For You And Your Partner

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribe

Sexual Health

How to Have an Anal Orgasm: Prep and What to Expect

Medically reviewed by Stacy A. Henigsman, DO — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst — Updated on May 12, 2025

Prostate
A-spot
How it feels
Preparation
Techniques
Other stimulation
Positions
Precautions
Takeaway

Anal pleasure knows no bounds. It’s something you can experience on your own or with a partner. Put simply, if you have a butt and you want it touched, anal play is for you.

Many people enjoy anal stimulation, with or without having an anal orgasm. If it feels good, anything goes! This includes touching, licking, fingering, penetration, and more. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Is an anal orgasm the same thing as a prostate orgasm?

Sometimes. Cisgender men and people assigned male at birth have a prostate, so in these cases, an orgasm results from stimulating the prostate.

You can stimulate your P-spot through your perineum, which is the runway of skin between your balls and your anus.

If you prefer direct touch, head inside through your anus — about 2 inches.

Does an anal orgasm involve your A-spot?

This is how anal orgasms work for cisgender women and people assigned female at birth. Anal penetration indirectly stimulates the A-spot in your vagina.

Your A-spot, or anterior fornix, is deep inside your vagina — around 5 or 6 inches in.

It’s an area filled with erotically charged nerve endings that can make you very wet, very fast.

What does an anal orgasm feel like?

For many people, an anal orgasm feels like intense waves of pleasure that begin deep inside the body and radiate outward. However, each person’s experience is different, and no two orgasms are alike.

One thing that’s true across the board: Anal stimulation and orgasm shouldn’t cause severe or persistent pain. A little discomfort is natural if your play involves penetration of any kind, but this should subside fairly quickly.

How to get started

Sex on the fly is fun, but when it comes to anal play, a little prep can help make the experience better for the receiver and the giver.

If you’re the receiving partner

Being relaxed and aroused is key, especially if this is your first foray into butt play.

Here are some ideas and other tips to get you started:

Indulge in something erotic: The more turned on you are, the easier and more enjoyable butt play will be. Watch porn, listen to an erotic story, or just close your eyes and fantasize.
Take a hot bath: A hot bath will help loosen tight muscles and increase blood flow to all your bits. Use bath time to give your erogenous zones a good rub-a-dub and show your anus some love while you wash up.
Practice with a butt plug: Sex toys can help you get a feel for anal play before experimenting with a partner. Take things slow and enjoy the feeling of the toy teasing your butt before inserting it.
Stock up on lube: There’s no such thing as too much lube when it comes to anal. It isn’t just about the delightful slip and slide but also an important part of anal sex safety.

If you’re the giving partner

As the giver, you need to bring your A-game. A little prep can help you help them have that anal orgasm:

Groom your hands: Trim and file your nails to prevent tearing delicate skin. Short nails also mean less space for dirt and bacteria to hide. While we’re on the subject of bacteria, don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly before going in. You could also wear latex gloves.
Use a condom: You can use condoms on a butt toy and fingers, as well as a penis. If you want to use your tongue, cut open a condom and use it as an alternative to a dental dam. This isn’t just to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but also to nip the ick factor in the bud if you or your partner is nervous.
Get your partner in the mood: “Before play” can help make entry easier. Touching, kissing, and licking the buttocks and the area around the anus is a good way to get the party started.

Techniques to try

You’ll probably have to try different techniques to find what works, but exploring is half the fun anyway. Here are some moves to start with, whether you’re using your tongue, fingers, penis, toys, or a combo of them all.

With your tongue

Your tongue may not be able to stimulate the P-spot or A-spot directly, but it sure can work wonders on the rest of the perianal area and many other erogenous zones.

Use the tip of your tongue to tease the cheeks before working your way between them. Swirl your tongue around the anus for a moment and then push the tip into the opening, darting it in and out.

With your fingers

Come hither: Slowly insert your lubed finger into the anus and curl your finger upward in a “come hither” motion. Gradually increase the depth and speed — and, if desired, try inserting a second finger. Once you find a depth and pace that feels good, continue the motion and allow the pleasure to build.
Doorbell: From the inside or outside, find the spot that makes them go “oooh” with your finger and press your finger pad against it as if ringing a doorbell. Start with light pressure, gradually increasing the pressure and speed.
Circling: Rub the pad of your finger in a circular motion in the area of the A-spot or P-spot. Start circling the area slowly and gradually pick up the pace at your partner’s request — or based on their oohs and ahs. Play with pressure, as well as speed, to find the magic combo.
Simulated vibration: It’s a little hard on your wrist, but you can simulate vibration if you speed up any move fast enough. Save this to avoid carpal tunnel when they’re close to the brink.

With your penis, a strap-on, or other sex toy

Pressure: Applying more or less pressure can help you find the sweet spot.
Depth: No two butts are exactly alike, so play with depth to figure out how deep you need to go to hit the right spot. Take it slow and gentle unless you get the OK to do more.
Vibrations: You can find vibrating massagers with different vibe and pulse settings. Try out the different combos to find what works best. Up the vibration when the climax is near to take things over the edge.
Internal/external: Some sex toys work double duty thanks to an external vibe that stimulates the perineum or clitoris during penetration. You can also buy a dual vibrator to penetrate the anus and vagina at the same time.

How to incorporate other stimulation into anal play

An anal orgasm may be your goal, but don’t let that stop you from making use of all of the other hot spots a body has to offer!

Stimulate one or more to aim for a blended orgasm:

Clitoral: You can show the clit some love during anal play, whether you’re the giver or the receiver. Use your hand, fingers, or a toy to slide up and down and side to side over the clit and hood.
Vaginal: A finger or toy can penetrate the vagina while the butt’s receiving some love. Try the “come hither” move, and you just might hit the elusive G-spot, too.
Penile: A good ol’ fashioned hand job is an easy add-on to anal play for the giver or receiver. Grasp the penis and stroke the entire length of the shaft, picking up the pace as the climax approaches.
Erogenous zones: Your body has dozens of potentially pleasurable zones that crave action. Use your hands or toy to explore the rest of your body, lingering on those that feel best. Try usual suspects like your neck, breasts, and scrotum or less-explored areas like the backs of your knees, small of your back, and inner arms.

Sex positions to try

You can make any of the usual sex positions butt-friendly. Here’s how.

Facedown

To do this by yourself:

Lie facedown.
Reach your arm behind you and rest it on your back.
Reach your perineum or anus with your finger.
Tease and insert at your leisure.

To do this with a partner:

Lie facedown with your arms at your sides and legs slightly apart.
Have them sit next to you on the side most comfortable for them.
Have them gently massage your anus.

On your side, one leg to your chest

To do this by yourself:

Lie on your side.
Bring your outer leg up toward your chest.
Reach your hand around to your anus.
Take your time to explore and stimulate as desired.

To do this with a partner:

Lie on your side.
Bring your outer leg toward your chest.
Have them sit behind you to reach your anus.

Doggy

To do this by yourself:

Get down on all fours.
Reach your arm between your legs or around your back to reach your anus.
Massage and penetrate as slowly or as urgently as you’d like.

To do this with a partner:

Get down on all fours.
Have them kneel behind you to reach your anus.

Cow

To do this by yourself:

Stabilize your dildo, vibrator, or other penetrative toy on the seat of a chair or another flat surface.
Straddle the chair or gently kneel down so that your butt hovers just above the toy.
Slowly lower down and gradually insert the toy until you find the depth that feels best for you.

To do this with a partner:

Have them lie on their back.
Straddle them — or their well-positioned toy — with your knees on either side of their hips and your hands on the bed or floor.
Lower your butt and use your hips and hands to control the depth.

Other things to consider about solo and partnered anal play

Here are a few other things to consider before heading to B-town for some butt play.

Your anus doesn’t self-lubricate

It just doesn’t — at least not in the same way as your vagina.

Your anus is at the end of your rectum, which is part of your digestive tract. The mucous membrane that lines your rectum contains glands that produce mucus to protect your digestive tract.

Your anus sometimes secretes mucus when you have a bowel movement or during anal stimulation, but the amount of mucus secreted — if any — isn’t enough to help penetration.

Lube is a must

We can’t stress this enough. If you’re going to partake in anal play, you have to use lube.

Without it, getting anything into the butt won’t just be painful — it can also be harmful. Rough entry can lead to skin tears and increase your chance of sexually transmitted and other infections.

A silicone- or water-based lube works just fine and is safe for use with condoms and sex toys.

Although pregnancy isn’t possible, STIs are

Anorectal STIs are on the rise, and the chance is higher for those on the receiving end.

Small tears in the delicate skin in and around the anus increase the chance of STI transmission, including:

chlamydia
gonorrhea
HIV
human papillomavirus (HPV)

Other bacteria can be transmissible, too

Butt play can expose you to more than just STIs.

Bacteria such as Shigella, E. coli, and Campylobacter are transmissible through feces, and contact with poop is a very real possibility, even if you can’t see it.

You may also have a higher chance of developing:

hepatitis A, B, and C
parasites, such as Giardia
intestinal amoebas

Never go from the back to front without cleaning and getting a fresh condom

Again, this is about the poop. The bacteria in feces can negatively affect your urinary tract, so if you decide to mix it up with oral or penis-in-vagina sex, you need to wash up and put on a new condom.

The bottom line

The bottom can be loads of fun, and an anal orgasm is worth pursuing. Even if you don’t have one, chances are you’ll have some type of climax along the way. Be prepared, go slow, and enjoy all the pleasure the butt has to offer.

Read this article in Spanish.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Hensel DJ, et al. (2022). Women’s techniques for pleasure from anal touch: Results from a U.S. probability sample of women ages 18–93.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9242470/
Stelmar J, et al. (2024). Orgasm ability and mapped erogenous sensation during receptive vaginal and anal intercourse.https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/21/Supplement_5/qdae054.045/7694115
Walton A, et al. (2022). Anal sex and sexual function satisfaction: A comprehensive (and critical) review of current medical literature.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174360952200426X
Walton A, et al. (2022). Anal sex practices and rectal erogenous zones: An anatomic questionnaire based study.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609522002351

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Stacy A. Henigsman, DO — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst — Updated on May 12, 2025

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media

Sexual Health

Is an anal orgasm the same thing as a prostate orgasm?

Does an anal orgasm involve your A-spot?

What does an anal orgasm feel like?

How to get started

If you’re the receiving partner

If you’re the giving partner

Techniques to try

With your tongue

With your fingers

With your penis, a strap-on, or other sex toy

How to incorporate other stimulation into anal play

Sex positions to try

Facedown

On your side, one leg to your chest

Doggy

Cow

Other things to consider about solo and partnered anal play

Your anus doesn’t self-lubricate

Lube is a must

Although pregnancy isn’t possible, STIs are

Other bacteria can be transmissible, too

Never go from the back to front without cleaning and getting a fresh condom

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

Contact