When you first start using butt plugs, there are often different worries or concerns that you might have. These are particularly prominent when it comes to using your butt plugs safely.
Even once you become comfortable using your plugs, you might find various medical conditions that happen during your life, and wonder if putting things in your butt could have caused it.
So we’ve spent some time researching all of these things, and in this article we will explain exactly why butt plugs are perfectly safe to use, and in some cases actually beneficial!
Medical Uses of Butt Plugs/Anal Plugs
Butt plugs have a chequered history. In some of their earlier forms, they were marketed as miracle cures for all kinds of conditions.
While many of these “cures” have been debunked by modern medicine, there is still a growing body of evidence that the regular use of a plug can help with certain medical conditions.
General Tips
Even if you don’t have any specific concerns about using your butt plugs safely, there are a few tips that you should follow whenever you use them:
- Always use lubrication.
- Take your time when inserting or removing your plugs.
- Work your way up to larger butt plugs.
- Always clean your butt plugs before and after use.
Allergic Reactions
Allergic reactions aren’t something that we all have to worry about. Only some people have allergies, and they can all be allergic to different things. But can we be allergic to butt plugs?
Unfortunately, you can have an allergic reaction to a butt plug. This is usually caused by one of three things: the plug, the lube, or the tail (if your plug has one).
Butt plug related allergies will be caused by one or more of the materials used to make the plug. For example, the type of metal used.
Out of the materials used to make butt plugs, the most common one someone can be allergic to is latex. The same is also true if you want to place a condom over your plug, as many of these are also made of latex.
The best materials to choose for your butt plugs are silicone, glass, or stainless steel. As these are quite uncommon things to be allergic to, it’s unlikely that your plug will cause a reaction. However if you know that you may be allergic to any of these, you should take care when choosing a plug.
Lubricant related allergies are a bit more common, as most lubes will have a variety of ingredients. If you do have allergies, you should always carefully check the ingredient list of any lubricant to make sure you won’t have a reaction.
Tail related allergies, unsurprisingly, only apply if you use a tail butt plug. These are most often made from synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester, although in some rare cases real fur can be used.
Just like with lubricants, if you know you have any allergies, you should make sure that those substances aren’t used in the tail attached to your plug.
Bleeding
One of the most common alarm bells that might ring while using a butt plug is if you see blood. This is a perfectly normal reaction, and in fact many manufacturers (including ourselves!) will usually tell you to take a break from butt plugs if you notice an anal bleed.
However this advice isn’t quite the whole truth.
The muscles and nerves found inside your anus are a lot more sensitive than those found on the outside of your body. Because they are so sensitive, there are many, many different things that can cause a bleed.
Even something as simple as pooping can make your butt bleed!
Every day, we all experience tiny anal tears, most of which will be so small that very little blood will come out. For all intents and purposes, these are basically small, internal, paper cuts and will heal naturally without you ever noticing.
Using butt plugs can also cause these tiny tears, and is nothing to worry about… most of the time. Even when you notice a tiny amount of blood on your plug when you remove it, usually it is just a small internal tear and will not cause any problems.
However, there are two situations where bleeding should concern you.
Continuous bleeds will eventually produce enough blood that it begins to leak out of your anus. Even while wearing a plug it will gently seep out.
If you notice this kind of leakage while wearing a plug or even after taking it out, seek medical help immediately.
Painful bleeds are a little more difficult to figure out.
For some people, all anal activity will produce some level of “pain”. How intense this is varies, and some people even enjoy it, seeing it as a part of the anal experience.
Even though pain can be a good thing for some people, if you ever experience pain and bleeding at the same time, then there may be a problem. Seek medical help as soon as you can, especially if the pain doesn’t subside after removing the plug.
While most bleeds will be completely harmless, we do advise that you take a break from using plugs for a day or two if you notice any kind of blood. This gives your sensitive inner muscles time to recover and heal.
Stuck Anal Toys
“Can a butt plug get stuck?”
This is probably the single, most common question we see from people who are new to using butt plugs.
Butt plugs can get stuck inside your body, but it isn’t something that’s likely to happen unless you do something to put yourself in that position.
The first thing we need to make clear is that while our butts are primarily designed to push things (poop) out of our body, butts are also great at sucking things in. This is exactly why suppositories are so effective at delivering medicine. Once they’ve gone in, they stay in.
Now we need to make clear that there are actually two ways that your butt plug can get stuck.
Not being able to remove the plug is a common occurrence that many people will experience at least once if they use anal toys regularly. Luckily, this isn’t something to be very concerned about.
Essentially, your butt will be gripping onto the plug so tightly, that trying to pull it out seems impossible and quite painful.
This problem is easily remedied, and the most important thing you can do is not to panic. By panicking, all of your muscles will become more tense, which will make them grip the plug even tighter, making it even more difficult to remove, and we spiral out of control.
Instead simply relaxing, applying more lube, and gently pushing as if you are using the toilet will usually be more than enough to get the plug out. Even if it was completely totally stuck and you couldn’t pull it out, eventually you’re going to need to poop and your body will do it’s thing.
Plugs being swallowed by your anus is a much more serious concern. This is where the entire butt plug gets swallowed up and sucked into the anal canal. Once there, it’s free to travel deeper and deeper into the colon, and will need surgery to remove in most cases.
While this is a bad thing, it’s easily avoided. Simply make sure that every butt plug you use has a flared base. The base should be large enough that there is no physical way that your anus can swallow it.
Now when your butt tries to suck the plug in, the base will press against the rest of your body and it won’t be able to go in any farther.
Anal Mucus
Another bodily function that can throw some concern over your butt plug use is mucus. Specifically, anal mucus.
Like many other parts of our bodies, our anus is able to produce mucus to line the walls of the anal canal. This mucus makes it much easier for poop to get out of our body.
If our butts didn’t produce mucus, then those tiny anal tears we discussed above would be much more common, and happen almost everytime you use the bathroom.
Sometimes, when enjoying any kind of anal play, you might notice a small amount of this mucus coming out of your butt. It will usually be clear, or slightly yellow in color, and can often be quite thick and sticky.
Mucus on it’s own shouldn’t be any cause of major concern. In fact, anal mucus can actually make anal play more enjoyable and easy as it slightly lubricates the anal canal!
The only time to be concerned is if the mucus you see is a different color, or is mixed with blood. In both of these cases, you should stop using your butt plug straight away, and seek medical help.
Most of the time if there is a mucus related problem, it won’t come alone. It will usually be accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, or even be caused by infections or bacteria. So it should be easy to figure out when anal mucus is a bad thing!
Sharing Anal Toys
“Can I share my butt plug?”
Another extremely common question we see from butt plug novices. If you’re enjoying a butt plug while experimenting with your partner, then of course you might want to share the experience with them!
This isn’t something you should rush into lightly though. In general, we advise against sharing butt plugs wherever possible. Similarly, you should avoid inserting a plug into your anus, and then putting it into your vagina.
The reason to avoid both of these things is quite simple: our butts are full of bacteria. A lot of it is good and helpful bacteria, and some is nasty and harmful bacteria.
Importantly though, this concoction of good and bad bacteria is unique to your body, and transferring those to someone else’s body could lead to disaster.
Now of course, we know that some of you will ignore this and share your plugs anyway. If you do, make sure that you thoroughly clean them before someone else uses them! To be even safer, put a condom over the plug and swap it for a fresh one for each user.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is an unfortunate condition which can affect many men throughout their lives. It is, quite simply, an inability to get or maintain an erection long enough to have sex.
While most men will experience temporary erectile dysfunction fairly often throughout their lives (sometimes you just aren’t in the mood!), permanent ED is something much more serious and can have a large impact on any man’s life.
Long-term erectile dysfunction can be caused by a massive variety of reasons, and treated with many different methods. What we’re interested in though, is the effect of butt plugs on erectile dysfunction.
So, can butt plugs cause erectile dysfunction? Well, not exactly.
What tends to happen though, is that some men do lose their erection once they insert a butt plug. It can take a long time to get used to the feeling of having something inside your butt.
While it feels strange or unusual, you’ll often simply struggle to stay aroused in the same way, instead focusing entirely on your butt rather than your penis.
This is essentially a form of temporary ED, and sometimes will mean that you can’t wear a butt plug and maintain an erection. Luckily though, as you get more and more used to anal play, you should find it easier to stay hard.
The more important question though, is can butt plugs help with erectile dysfunction? This is a much more interesting proposition.
To understand the role butt plugs can play in treating ED, we once again come to the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles play a vital role in much of our sexual function (and dysfunction). When pelvic floor muscles become weakened or damaged, many things can start going wrong.
One of the principle causes of ED is pelvic floor dysfunction, and by strengthening and repairing these muscles many people regain their former glory. And butt plugs can help with this!
The simple act of wearing a butt plug engages the pelvic floor, otherwise the plug would simply fall out! When you wear a plug frequently, these muscles can get stronger and stronger, and eventually your erectile dysfunction may be a thing of the past!
Rectal Prolapse
Suffering a rectal prolapse is sometimes portrayed as the ultimate reason not to try anal. It’s a powerful image, as nobody wants their body turned inside out for a little bit of pleasure. But does it really happen?
While it’s a powerful image, at the time of writing we could find no concrete evidence that the use of anal toys can actually cause a rectal prolapse.
So, the next time someone tries to putt you off using plugs with their horror stories, pay no attention!
Of course, we want to look at all aspects of these medical conditions, so we need to find out: can using butt plugs help with rectal prolapse?
Surprisingly, there is some medical evidence that they can help!
The theory is quite simple. By wearing a butt plugs, you hold in all of the prolapsed part of the anus. At the same time, you’ve blocked your anus, so also dealt with any fecal leakage that may be caused by your prolapse.
Butt plugs aren’t suitable for every case of rectal prolapse, but for some people they can provide some relief. As always with serious medical conditions, we strongly recommend consulting your doctor before trying any kind of alternative treatment for rectal prolapse.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids, sometimes also called piles, are a very common medical condition that the majority of people will suffer from at some point in their lives.
In fact, more and more people are affected by it each year, and some statistics suggest that by late next year, half of all people will be affected by some form of hemorrhoids.
Luckily, many cases of hemorrhoids pass by completely unnoticed. Often people don’t even know they have them!
When you do notice them though, they can be extremely uncomfortable and painful.
A large variety of reasons can cause hemorrhoids, but can butt plugs contribute?
In general, no. Simply wearing a butt plug isn’t going to cause hemorrhoids.
One thing you should look out for though, is pushing too hard when taking your butt plugs out. When it feels like the plug isn’t going to come out, you might push it out just like when using the bathroom.
You should be very careful with this kind of straining, as pushing too hard can contribute to hemorrhoids.
If you are suffering from hemorrhoids, it’s usually best to avoid using butt plugs.
To help your recovery, it’s best to keep your muscles as relaxed as possible. You should also avoid putting pressure on your hemorrhoids as this may cause them to rupture.
Having a butt plug in your anus will not only place the muscles under more tension, but also will place unnecessary pressure on your hemorrhoids.
To be on the safe side, let your condition clear up before you start enjoying your plugs again!
Constipation
While many of the medical conditions we’ve discussed so far have some loose links to butt plugs, constipation has been studied a little more, and there is real evidence to support the use of anal plugs in treating it.
Constipation can be caused by all kinds of reasons, and our modern world can make it even harder to have regular bowel movements. Sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, and even lack of exercise can all contribute.
But can butt plugs?
In general, no. We do advise that you use the bathroom before inserting a plug, so it shouldn’t really be able to interact with your poop. If you don’t do this, and there is poop in your anal canal, it is possible that your butt plug could push on it and compact it.
Hard compacted poop is one thing that can cause constipation, but emptying yourself out before using your plug can help prevent this.
There are much more interesting implications when we ask if butt plugs can help with constipation though.
In a 2007 study, patients were given both butt plugs and colonic irrigation to test the effects on constipation. The study found that:
While this is just a single study, it did have a positive result. So next time you’re suffering from constipation it might be worth giving a butt plug a go!
Constipation and Lube
While not directly related to butt plug use itself, lubrication can also have an effect on your bowel movements. This is due to some of the ingredients used in many common brands of lubrication.
We’re mainly concerned about two key ingredients: aloe vera and glycerin.
Thanks to the thin anal lining, it’s very easy for these two ingredients to be absorbed by your body. Once inside, some users find that both of these ingredients can cause them to have a bowel movement very quickly, often ending their anal play early!
Keep Your Anal Toys Safe and Healthy!
While many of these health issues sound scary, generally the aren’t going to be cause by butt plugs. And even though sometimes butt plugs can help with some of these conditions, it’s still a good idea to take a break until your body is fully recovered.
If you do believe your plugs help, pay close attention to your own body and make sure your condition isn’t getting any worse. And as always, with any health conditions you should carefully follow the advice of your doctor.