Rimming

Pleasure!

Rimming (eating ass, kissing - licking - tonguing your partner's asshole) is
either really gross or one of the ultimate highs of man to man sex. It all depends
on your perspective. The very thought of it repulses some men while for others
it's a total turn-on. You can address this by doucheing beforehand, eliminating any odors and cleaning out any potential messy stuff.

Your asshole is rich in sensory nerves that can drive you, or your partner, wild when stimulated. Some guys find the most pleasure in being rimmed, while others love doing the rimming. The positions are many and varied; lying down, '69ing, on your knees... there are even "rim seats" designed just for the purpose.

You can lick across the ass in soft, wet strokes, or encircle it, going round and around languorously. You can flick the tongue-tip rapidly, or insert it inside as far as it'll go, pushing and stroking back and forth. Try brushing your lips gently over the spot, or hard on the anus, as if trying to draw it out. This is especially nice if you push your tongue inside. When you are being rimmed, push down and relax your asshole as if shitting, it should expand a little outwards, giving more area to caress and even nibble or bite.

Problems!

An asshole is an asshole no matter what you do and you can't sterilize it.
No amount of cleaning will fully protect you from a variety of STDs and parasites
if they are present in your partner's ass. Parasites may cause symptoms of upper
abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and fever. There have been no cases of HIV transmission
through rimming, but Hepatitis A, gonorrhea, herpes, shigella, e-coli and salmonella
can all be transmitted through rimming!

If you rim!

Ask your doctor to check you out for parasites (stool exam or blood test).
Metronidazole (flagyl) cures parasitic infections. Remember, you may not know
you have been infected.

Consider limiting the number of men that you rim. Your risk of STDs and parasitic
infections increases with your number of rimming partners.

Get your Hepatitis A and B vaccinations! Visit the free Hepatitis Clinic Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 1:15 - 1:45 at 1947 Cook Street (Victoria). If you rim, this
is probably the singlemost important thing that you can do to protect yourself.
Hep A and B vaccinations are safe for HIV positive guys, too!

Get more information on STDs transmitted through rimming.

Visit www.gayhealth.com

Rimming appeared in the Fall, 2002 issue of Men's Briefs,
the newsletter of the Men's Wellness Program. If you are on Vancouver
Island and would like to subscribe (free) to Men's Briefs, contact
us!