Heterosexual Anal Sex

During the 1990s, there seemed to be an explosion of anal sex in porn. In fact, most people expected to see at least one scene of anal sex in films during this time period. Although anal sex is still somewhat taboo, these videos may have led to an increasing trend in anal sex in the last few years. Some even went so far as to call anal sex the “new black.” It seemed that more and more individuals were exploring their sexualities with different areas of their bodies.

Due to the taboo status of anal sex it is difficult to find any relevant information or statistics on whether or not people are having anal sex more often. Researchers have done an excellent job at not even touching the subject and if they have, they’re not talking!

The fact of the matter is that we are more than likely becoming for at ease with the sex discussion and sex talk is more popular than it once was. The little research that is available shows that in the 80s younger people were more likely to admit to having anal sex while older people that had anal sex were not as prevalent. Research that was conducted later in the 90’s and in 2002 showed the opposite effect. Younger people having anal sex were not as prevalent as older people.

When you consider sex related research, it is difficult to determine the accuracy of the findings. During surveys, even if they are anonymous, many people will not answer truthfully due to embarrassment. Research, however, can be useful in providing generalizations on the sexual activity of individuals.

More recent studies that were held in the 90s suggest showed that 27% of college men and 24% of college women had engaged in anal sex at least once. While in the 70s and 80s, studies showed increased rates than those studies held in the 90s. In the 70s, 25% of women stated that they had anal sex while in the 80s, 72% of women reported having had anal sex. The most recent study held in 2002 by the National Survey of Family growth reported that 30% of women and 34% of men had engaged in anal sex at least once.

So, perhaps we are just accepting anal sex as a healthy form of sexual exploration versus the taboo subject that it was once considered. Anal sex is no longer considered to be only for gay men, but for everyone who is sexually active. Market trends are also showing this, as more and more adult sex toys are being marketed and directed for anal sex, which shows that the society is accepting it as well.