Do Women Like Anal? Anal Sex Statistics [2023]

We dug into the research to determine if women like anal sex, how often people have anal, if there are any risks to it, and more. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Anal sex can be a controversial topic.

Some love it, some think it’s weird, and others hate it and would never try it. Some men (and women) claim that women often enjoy anal, but(t) that isn’t always the case.

Top Anal Sex Statistics You Should Know:

35.9% of women and 42.3% of men had ever had anal sex in the United States.
31% of women described anal intercourse as enjoyable in one study.
81.7% of women found their first experience receiving anal sex to be painful.
77.6% (over three-quarters) of women have had at least one bad anal sex experience.
82% of women reported that their male partners had initiated their first occasion of anal intercourse
25% of women said they had been forced into having anal intercourse at least once.
Of all women who like anal sex, 51.5% of them still prefer vaginal sex over anal sex.
Only 4.1% prefer anal sex over vaginal sex.
82% of women indicated that they had not used condoms during the first occasion of anal sex.
STD diagnoses are 2.6 times more likely in those who have unprotected anal sex as those who have unprotected vaginal sex.
57.4% of women who’ve had anal sex also like being anally fingered.

What is Anal Sex?

Before we dive into the stats, first, we have to define anal sex:

Anal sex is any sexual activity that involves the anus.

This doesn’t always include penetration with a penis. Anal sex can mean using sex toys, fingers, or a tongue. People of all sexual orientations and gender identities can have anal sex.

Source: WebMD

How Common Is Anal Sex in America?

Do many people have anal sex, or is it just a small minority? Here’s what studies have shown:

Between 6% and 40% of couples report having anal sex.

Up to 10% of heterosexuals reported at least one instance of anal in the previous year.

Percentage

US Women Having Anal Sex

20–30%

US women reported having anal sex at least once in their life

19%–32%

US women reported having had anal sex in the last 6–12 months

35.9% of women and 42.3% of men had ever had anal sex in the United States.

Ages of U.S. men and women reporting anal sex with an opposite-sex partner, 2016:

Women Age

Percentage

18-24 years old

28.4%

25-34 years old

38.5%

35-44 years old

39.0%

25-44 years old

38.5%

Men Age

Percentage

18-24 years old

29.3%

25-34 years old

49.3%

35-44 years old

44.8%

25-44 years old

47.0%

That’s a pretty significant portion of the population who’ve had anal sex!

Sources: Journal of Sex Research, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Do Women Really Enjoy Anal Sex?

While many reports having anal at least once, do they actually enjoy it?

Percentage

31%

Women described anal intercourse as enjoyable in one study.

63.3%

(Almost two-thirds) of women liked receiving anal sex in another study.

59.0%

Women found the first-time anal sex experience not pleasurable.

41.0%

Women found it to be pleasurable.

18.3%

Reported their first time having anal sex was not painful.

81.7%

Women found their first experience receiving anal sex to be painful.

Pain can result from having anal sphincter muscles stretch too quickly before they can relax or being stretched too far.

Sources: Archives of Sexual Behavior, Bad Girls Bible,

Reasons Why Women Want and Enjoy Anal Sex

Here’s what studies have shown about why women have anal:

Most women have anal in an attempt to seek pleasure both physically and emotionally.

Many women said they sought out anal in a desire for intimacy or closeness with their partners.

Some women tried anal out of curiosity or because they saw anal intercourse as a way of bringing variety or “spice” into their sexual relationships.

Women’s reasons for engaging in anal intercourse with men:

Important note: There were just 32 participants in this study, and they all had a past history of illicit drug use, hence some of the high percentages in “quid pro quo” situations.

Desire to avoid vaginal sex (on period, discharge, etc.)

The majority of participants said that they did not engage in anal intercourse as a form of birth control.

9% of women participants said that they had engaged in anal intercourse to avoid vaginal sex when they were on their period.

To please her partner

28% of participants said that engaging in anal intercourse was to please a male partner.

In other cases, the women offered to have anal sex in an attempt to please their partner.

Women’s own desire for anal sex

49% of participants said they engaged in anal intercourse because they desired it.

Many women engaged in anal intercourse because they personally enjoy it.

In other cases, women enjoyed anal intercourse only in specific circumstances, such as with people they know and trust very well.

Some enjoyed having anal sex only in certain positions or when certain conditions were met.

Money or drugs exchanged for anal sex

37.5% of participants engaged in anal intercourse in exchange situations.

Some of the women agreed to have anal intercourse in exchange for money.

Others agreed to have anal intercourse in exchange for drugs.

Under the influence of drugs or alcohol

62.5% of women participants had anal sex because they were high, which was the most frequently reported reason offered.

In some cases, they were more interested in anal intercourse when they were high, suggesting that substance use increased their own sexual desire.

In other cases, drugs made women do something they would not ordinarily do. They were only willing to engage in anal when they were high enough to overcome their inhibitions and personal boundaries.

Others said that having anal intercourse without using substances would be too painful. They are only willing to have anal intercourse when they are high.

No consent or coercion and she did not know she could refuse.

Percentage

53%

Participants said they did not want anal intercourse to occur but did not feel they had the right to say no.

22%

Participants described situations where the anal intercourse occurred without the woman’s explicit consent.

Women’s Positive Experiences with Anal Sex

Here are some of the positive experiences women listed about anal sex:

Womens Positive Experiences

Positive Physical Experiences

“Liked the sensation”

“No Side Effects”

Positive Emotional Experiences

“More Intimate than Vaginal Sex”

“Natural”

“Only for Special Partner”

Specific contexts or circumstances are typically required for the women to enjoy the experience.

Percentage Of Women

Circumstances

22%

Women participants emphasized the importance of male experience with the use of lubricants for enjoyment.

28%

Participants said that substance use played in their experience of pleasure in anal intercourse.

22%

Participants emphasized the importance of being stimulated in the correct way or staying relaxed, which helped create a more pleasurable experience.

15.8%

Women enjoyed the pain of their last anal sex experience.

Of that 15.8% of women, here’s what made their anal sex experience enjoyable:

Percentage of Women

Sentiments

70%

“It felt pleasurable”

57.8%

“I was attracted to my partner”

57.4%

“Partner respected me and communicated with me to make sure I enjoyed it”

53.9%

“It pleased my partner, and that pleases me”

42.5%

“Used enough lube”

41.4%

“Position made it enjoyable”

Sources: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Bad Girls Bible

Orgasms and Squirting in Anal Sex

Is there such a thing as an “anal orgasm”? How does it work? Here’s what these studies and articles have shown:

How anal orgasms work for cisgender women:

Anal penetration indirectly stimulates the “A-spot” in the vagina.

The “A-spot” is the anterior fornix, located deep inside the vagina… It’s an area filled with nerve endings.

Percentage

51.9%

Women had an orgasm during anal sex

48.1%

Did not have an orgasm during anal sex

39%

Women orgasmed during their last attempt at anal sex

61%

Did not orgasmed during their last attempt at anal sex

16.9%

Women have squirted during anal sex.

83.1%

Haven’t squirted during anal intercourse.

12.3%

Women reported that they squirted during their last anal intercourse.

Anxious attachment is associated with less vaginal orgasm consistency but with a higher frequency of vibrator and anal sex orgasms.

Sources: Healthline, Bad Girls Bible, The Journal of Sexual Medicine

Why Other Women Dislike Anal Sex

While some enjoy anal, many do not. Here’s why:

77.6% (over three-quarters) of women have had at least one bad anal sex experience.

Other than coercion and violence, many women report pain and discomfort during anal sex, including emotional distress.

Some also have mild intestinal discomfort (e.g., disrupted bowel movements) afterward.

Some common reasons for unenjoyable anal sex:

Percentage

Reasons

66.7%

“It was painful”

43.5%

“Started too fast/Not enough time to relax”

41.2%

“Not enough lubricant/No lubricant”

22.6%

“No orgasm”

20.5%

“It was forced”

16.6%

“Big penis issues”

1.8%

“Small penis issues“

Other reasons include:

“Other” includes some of the respondent’s detailed responses:

“My partner did not respect me or communicate with me to make sure I enjoyed it.”
“I didn’t enjoy the position.”
“I find it gross/dirty.”
“Other”
“I was not prepared for ‘poop dick’ and it was embarrassing.”
“He did anal then vagina[l], which gave me an infection after.”
“Duration of anal sex”
“I wasn’t attracted to partner.”
“Their penis was too small.”

Negative experiences with anal sex:

Here are some of the negative experiences women listed about anal sex:

Negative Experiences

Negative Physical Experiences

“Not preferred”

“Disliked sensation”

“Unwelcome side effects”

Negative Emotional Experiences

“Shame”

“Disgust”

“Offended”

47% of women participants focused on the emotional and physical discomfort associated with anal intercourse.

For many of these women, the experience was physically uncomfortable or painful.

Others focused on the unwanted side effects. Some felt emotionally humiliated by the experience.

15.6% of women participants described male partners who were so focused on their own pleasure that they failed to consider the women’s experiences.

Sources: Bad Girls Bible, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Archives of Sexual Behavior,

Men’s Urge to Have Anal Sex

In many cases, the man encourages women to have anal sex. Here’s why:

There are higher percentages of men (42.3%) than women (35.9%).

Most women say that their male partners took the initiative when it came to anal intercourse.

Percentage

82%

Women reported that their male partners had initiated their first occasion of anal intercourse.

Only 11%

Women had taken the initiative themselves.

68%

Women reported that their male partners initiated anal in the most recent time they experienced it.

25%

Women said they had been forced into having anal intercourse at least once.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Is Anal Sex Trying to Replace Vaginal Sex?

Most people studied say they still prefer vaginal sex over anal, even in those who participated in it regularly:

Vaginal intercourse is far more prevalent than anal sex among men and women.

Gender

Had Anal Sex

Vaginal Intercourse

Gender

Women

Men

Had Anal Sex

35.9%

42.3%

Vaginal Intercourse

94.2%

92.0%

In one study – when asked whether they preferred anal intercourse or vaginal intercourse, nearly every woman expressed a preference for vaginal sex.

This suggests that most of the women in these focus groups found vaginal intercourse more enjoyable than anal intercourse.

Percentage

51.5%

Of all women who like anal sex, still prefer vaginal sex over anal sex.

44.4%

Find both anal and vaginal sex equally enjoyable.

4.1%

Prefer anal sex over vaginal sex.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Bad Girls Bible

Best and Worst Anal Sex Positions

Some sex positions are better than others for anal, here’s what they are:

Women’s most liked and disliked anal sex positions:

Most liked anal sex positions:

Sex Positions

Percentage

Doggy style

42.9%

Lying down on my stomach

14.0%

Other

12.1%

Lying on my side

12.0%

Lying on my back

8.8%

Cowgirl

5.3%

Standing with my partner behind me

4.9%

Most disliked anal sex positions:

Sex Positions

Percentage

Cowgirl

21.4%

Lying on my back

20.2%

Standing with my partner behind me

15.5%

Doggy Style

13.0%

Other

12.2%

Lying on my stomach

9.4%

Lying on my side

8.3%

“The most common position in anal sex is for the woman to be bent over, with the man on top or over her, looking at her back. For men, a sense of power and domination comes with that.” According to sex therapist Mike Lousada.

Sources: Bad Girls Bible, Glamour

Women’s Preferred Duration of Anal Sex

The preferred duration of anal sex seems to be about the same as vaginal sex:

Median Time

Average Preferred Duration

Median Time

10 minutes

15 minutes

4 minutes

Average Preferred Duration

13 minutes and 35 seconds

17 minutes and 52 seconds

6 minutes, 12 seconds

For all women surveyed.

For women who like anal sex

For women who dislike anal sex

Source: Bad Girls Bible

Health Risks of Anal sex

Anal sex can be risky, according to these experts. Instances of STIs and other health risks are far more common with anal sex than vaginal:

Most people severely underestimate the health risks of anal sex.

“A woman has a 17-times-greater risk of getting HIV and AIDS from receiving anal intercourse than from having vaginal intercourse. So your partner needs to be wearing a condom and using lots of lube, unless both of you are true-blue monogamous, with no sexual diseases. Any sexually transmitted infection can be transmitted and received in the anus. Because of the amount of trauma the anus and rectum receive during anal intercourse, the likelihood of getting a sexually transmitted infection is higher than with vaginal intercourse.”

Paul Joannides, Psy.D.

Psychoanalyst and Author

82% of women indicated that they had not used condoms during the first occasion of anal sex.

The same proportion reported no condom use during the last occasion of anal.

STD prevention was not the primary motivation for condom use during anal sex.

When asked about condom use, only 25% spontaneously mentioned prevention of HIV or other STDs as a concern.

None of those surveyed consistently relied upon condoms for disease prevention during anal.

Those who had used a condom during anal intercourse listed the following reasons for using one:

A concern regarding hygiene.
The incorrect belief that they could get pregnant through anal sex.
The condom from vaginal sex was kept on during anal sex.

Inconsistency in using condoms during anal or vaginal intercourse:

Inconsistency

8 occasions

Women said they had used a condom for vaginal intercourse to prevent pregnancy but had removed the condom before anal intercourse.

4 occasions

Women reported having used condoms for anal intercourse but not for vaginal intercourse.

3 occasions

Women who reported using a condom during anal had used the same condom for vaginal and anal intercourse.

On another 3 occasions

Women had used different condoms for vaginal and anal intercourse.

Participant’s reasons for not using a condom during anal sex:

The woman was very familiar with her partner.
Anal sex was unanticipated or non-consensual.
Partner preferred not to use a condom.
Condoms made anal sex for women more uncomfortable or painful and made anal sex less pleasurable or more inconvenient.

Risks

Unprotected Anal Sex VS. Unprotected Vaginal Sex

2.6 times

STD diagnoses are more likely in those who have unprotected anal sex.

4.2 times

And those who have unprotected vaginal sex are more likely than those who have protected sex.

‘Saliva use as a lubricant for anal sex’ is a common sexual practice in MSM (men who have sex with men) and may play an important role in gonorrhea transmission.

68.5% of MSM use their partner’s saliva as a lubricant for anal sex, and of those MSM, 5.2% of them are rectal gonorrhea positive.

Sources: AIDS patient care and STDs, Goop, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, American Journal of Public Health, Sexually Transmitted Infections

The Dangers of Lube in Anal Sex

The use of lube during anal sex can actually increase the likelihood of STI transmission, according to these studies:

Percentage

Use of Lubricant During Anal Sex

36%

Use lube consistently during anal sex (137/380)

64%

Inconsistent users of lube in anal intercourse

64%

American participants reported using “commercial lubricant” during the last anal intercourse

STIs were reported in 5.3% of those using rectal lubricant in the past month.

STIs Report On those Who Use Rectal Lube

Percentage

Males

6.2%

Females

3.9%

Some lubricant products may increase vulnerability to STIs.

This is due to the wide use of lubricants and their potential as carrier vehicles for microbicides.

Consistent users had higher rates of STIs than inconsistent users.

Percentage

Lubricant Users

9.5%

Consistent users

2.9%

Inconsistent users

Types of lubricants used for anal sex

Percentage

Types of lubricants

Example Brands

Percentage

20.9%

61.3%

15.1%

Types of lubricants

Silicone-based

Water-based

Oil-based

Example Brands

Eros® brand

KY®, Wet®

Crisco®

Number of types of lubricants used

Percentage

Number of Lubricants Used

19.5%

Reported 0 types of lubricant

63.9%

Reported only 1 type of lubricant

10.7%

Reported 2 types of lubricant

5.9%

Reported 3 types of lubricant

A higher number of different types of lubricants was associated with higher instances of rectal gonorrhea (GC – Neisseria gonorrhoeae) or Chlamydia (CT – Chlamydia trachomatis) infections.

Those with STIs used more types of lubricants than those who did not have rectal GC or CT.

Men used significantly more types of lubricants than women in the past month.

Source: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Other Types of Anal Play That Women Enjoy

Anal sex and enjoyment don’t just have to come from penetrative sex. There are lots of different ways you can incorporate anal play:

Anal play is often associated with youth, which may suggest that anal sex is on the rise.

Youthful sexual activities tend to remain through adulthood, so over time, as young people grow older, we can expect many to continue engaging in anal play.

Anal play includes penis-anus intercourse, anal sphincter massage, fingering, oral-anal contact (analingus), and anal insertion of objects.

Percentage

57.4%

Women who’ve had anal sex also like being anally fingered – this makes it the most popular anal sex activity after penile-anal sex.

38%

Women say they enjoy using anal sex toys – the second most popular anal sex activity.

37.7%

Followed by receiving anilingus, women who’ve had anal sex enjoy this.

Rimming, also known as analingus, is the act of orally pleasuring the anus.

This can involve licking, sucking, kissing, and any other pleasurable act that involves oral-to-anal contact.

26.9% of women who’ve experienced anal sex do not enjoy any of these anal sex activities.

Sources: Psychology Today, Bad Girls Bible, Healthline

Conclusion

In short, many women do, in fact, enjoy anal sex when they’ve had it, but it can be an unpleasant and painful experience for many – especially with inexperienced partners. Anal sex is often also risky, with inconsistent use of condoms and a significantly higher likelihood of spreading STIs.