Anal sex is special because it can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of gender. But, while it may be fun, accessible, and a bold way to spice up your sex life, it can also be uncomfortable and difficult. After all, most people don’t usually stick anything up their anus, and even the ones that do, have to admit that there are some steps that can be taken to make it easier. Unlike vaginas, our anuses do not lubricate themselves when we are aroused. So, if you want anal sex to be as comfortable as vaginal sex, it’s important to remember lubricant.

Lubricants (or "lubes") are lotions and liquids that have been designed to be safe to insert inside orifices. Without lubrication, anal sex can be dry, rough, and even dangerous, as the dry skin can snag and rip under the right circumstances.

However, lubricants aren’t the only way to make anal sex easier and more comfortable for beginners. An easy way to make anal sex more accessible is to consider the position that you and your partner will be in during the intercourse.

Position #1 Lying Doggy

"Doggy style" is probably the most famous anal sex position. You may have heard of it in popular culture, jokes, movies, or music, and with good reason. It’s the most famous anal sex position because it’s the easiest. "Lying Doggy" is very similar, except that both partners are lying on a bed, facing down. To accomplish this, the receiving partner must lie down on the bed, with their back facing upward as the thrusting partner lies directly on top of them and enters them from behind. Because the thrusting partner will be lying on top of the receiving partner, it’s important to make sure that the receiving partner is lying comfortably and that there are pillows nearby for added support.

Advantages:

This position is one of the easiest anal sex position because it allows the receiving partner to relax, lie down, and let their partner do all the heavy lifting. However, some receiving partners may enjoy bouncing up and down to further stimulate both themselves and their partners, so this position also allows for interactivity. This position is also great for people who are uncomfortable maintaining eye contact or facing their partner, as they can get intimate without having to get too emotionally intimate. By not facing each other, this position allows two partners to focus on their own body and their partner’s, and some people love focusing on the physical side of things.

Disadvantages:

As you can see from the illustration above, the two partners are facing away from each other. If you and your partner enjoy eye contact, seeing each other’s facial expression, or kissing during intercourse, then this position won’t fulfill those needs.

Pro-tip:

To maximize pleasure for both partners, place a pillow under the waist of the receiving partner. This pillow will lift their pelvis, giving the thrusting partner a clearer angle of entry and allow them to penetrate deeper. From this position, the thrusting partner can pull on the receiving partner’s hair, grab their throat, or caress or stimulate them in any way they prefer. It’s crucial that the thrusting partner makes sure that the receiving partner is relaxed, loose, and aroused. A good way to make sure that the receiving partner is ready for entry is using toys like anal beads or anal plugs to see how tight they are. You can also lick, finger, and lube up your partner’s anus to loosen them and prepare them for entry.

Additional Help:

For the best foreplay and preparation before insertion, use the following products: Bud Love, Crystal Love, Vase Gem (with temperature play)

Must-have: Lube

Position 2 # Tilted Doggy

As we mentioned above, "Doggy Style" is a sexual position that needs no introduction. It’s become so popular that it has been modified, adjusted, and reinvented for the pleasures and preferences of the people who enjoy it. The Tilted Doggy is one more variation of the classic Doggy Style. To achieve it, the receiving partner must lie on all fours on a bed or floor and support the weight of their own body. The thrusting partner must lie on their knees on that same floor or bed and enter from behind. This position allows both partners to control the penetration. By lying on all fours, the receiving partner can adjust their position to have a stronger base for penetration, and the thrusting partner can also use their knees as a strong base to thrust their hips and control their upper body.

Advantages:

The Tilted Doggy Style is the perfect position for fans of deep penetration and people who love being in charge. Because this position is easy to penetrate from, it makes penetrating easier, which makes it unlikely that the penetration will be uncomfortable for first timers. If you’ve ever had an unpleasant anal sex experience, the Tilted Doggy is a perfect position to try anal sex again.

Disadvantages:

This position is a take on a very famous sex position, so it might be a bit "vanilla" for those people who want to spice things up or try something they’ve never tried before.

Pro-Tips:

This position lets the thrusting partner use their hands freely, so it’s perfect for the thrusting partner to stimulate the nipples or clit of their receiving partner. This extra stimulation will increase the pleasure received from penetration. If the thrusting partner’s arms aren’t long enough, they could use a clit vibrator or another sex toy to stimulate their partner.

Here’s a tip for the receiving partner, you don’t just have to lie on all fours and take it, you can spice things up by shaking your butt or rolling your hips back and forth to help stimulate your partner.

Additional Help:

For the partner doing the penetration, wearing a cock ring will not only make you last longer and get harder, but it’ll also stimulate your partner’s perineum as well. If you’ve never had anal sex before, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Anal Sex!

If you’re looking for another pro tip, remember to bring lube! It’s essential for anal sex!

Position 3 # Back It Up

Looking an anal sex position suitable for beginners? Back it Up has you covered! It’s meant to target shallow anal penetration. Most of the nerves that deliver pleasure to your brain are located around the sphincter muscles. This makes shallow anal penetratrion ideal, as it delivers a great amount of pleasure without having to penetrate deeply or thrust too hard.

The receiving partner lies on the edge of a bed (or other comfortable surface) with their back facing the penetrating partner. The penetrating partner will enter the anus while standing with their knees against the bed.

Advantages:

This position may sound strange and the pose may look difficult to accomplish, but this is actually a very easy position for beginners. This is due to the shallow penetration, which reduces pain and discomfort for beginners, and means that the penetration itself is quick and can be ended quickly. Remember, the deeper the penetration, the slower you have to go to ensure that it’s comfortable.

This position also aims to maximize the pleasure of penetration for both partners. As the receiving partner’s thighs are pressed together, the penetrating partner will be enveloped by a comfortable and stimulating tightness. The receiving partner can also move their behind in time with their partner’s thrusts to increase the pleasure for both parties.

Disadvantages:

An obvious drawback is that the penetration might not be deep enough for some partners. Partners with below-average penis sizes may not be able to hit their partners P-spot with shallow penetration. Thus, hitting the P-spot may be difficult for many partners with this position.

Pro-Tips:

Placing a pillow under the receiving partner’s waist can help adjust the angle, letting the thrusting partner target different areas of their partner’s anus. This position leaves the thrusting partner’s hands free to touch, caress, hug, or tease their partner for further stimulation.

Before use and for foreplay, we recommend the following products:

Bud Love, Crystal Love, Vase Gem (with temperature play)

Must have: Tons of lubes to avoid injury

Level up experience: Pomi Wand

Position 4 # Full Throttle

At first glance, you might think this is the Missionary Position, the most vanilla of all sex positions. But you’d be wrong. The Full Throttle is a variation of the Missionary Position that really puts the pedal to the metal.

It starts off as a Missionary Position, but then the receiving partner raises their legs and folds them down toward their body. The receiving partner’s feet will be on either side of the penetrating partner’s head. From this position, the receiving partner’s anus will be lower than their vagina and their body will be bent up to 120 degrees from the flat surface. This angle will allow the penetrating partner to enter them easily.

This is a relatively easy position to pull off, but the position is daring enough to drive many couples wild. After all, the position gets its name because the receiving partner puts their legs up like the bars of a motorcycle, letting the penetrating partner go Full Throttle.

Advantages:

Because the receiver’s body is almost fully folded, the penetrating partner can enter them deeply, fully, and directly. This is a must-try position for lovers of deep penetration.

This position also allows both partners to be face to face, which allows them to make eye contact and kiss, which promotes more emotional intimacy.

Disadvantages:

Keep in mind that the receiving partner’s waist will bear a lot of weight and pressure. If the receiving partner has a bad back or chronic pain in their lumbar region, this position is not recommended. Holding this position for too long will also make the receiving partner tired or could make their legs go numb from being up in the air, so be sure to take a break or switch positions if any discomfort arises.

First timers may find it difficult to relax their body and anus while maintaining the receiving pose, so the thrusting partner should be patient and penetrate slowly until their partner is ready.

Pro-Tips:

No one can resist the joys of double penetration. If you have a vagina, make use of it! Insert an egg vibrator, rabbit vibrator, clit vibrator or a regular dildo into your vagina while being anally penetrated.

Additional Help:

For the thrusting partner: cock ring, penis pump

For the receiving partner: egg vibrators, dual-end vibrators, rabbit vibrators, clit vibrators

Position 5 # The Caboose

This position looks like two lovers sitting together. If they were wearing clothes, this would be a position you’d see a couple sitting in at a par. But in the bedroom, without clothes, this turns into a romantic anal sex position!

For this position, both partners will sit on the bed or on the floor. Once they’re hard, the penetrating partner sits first. Then, after they’re lubed up, the receiving partner sits on top of the penetrating partner. Both partners must guide the penetrating partners penis or strap on into the receiving partner’s anus as they sit slowly.

Advantages:

This position closes the distance between a couple, making sure there is no gap between body bodies and wrapping both of them in deep intimacy. Both partners will be together, skin to skin, in a sweet, sticky situation that’s bound to bring them together in more ways than one. You’ll feel each other’s breathing, temperature, sweat, and even each other’s heart beats.

Disadvantages:

Fans of deep penetration might find this position lacking. The receiving partner is sitting on top of the penetrating partner, and their butt will naturally create a cushion that will not allow the penetrating partner’s penis to enter all the way.

If you like making eye contact, seeing your partner’s facial expressions, or kissing while having sex, you might not like that this position won’t give you those intimate moments.

Pro-Tip:

While kissing and making eye contact is hard with this position, the thrusting partner can use their hands to explore their partner’s erogenous zones (like the nipples and clitoris). If you get tired of using your hands, you could use toys like clit vibrators and egg vibrators for double stimulation!

Additional Help:

Essential: always use enough lube for an anal sex session.

Some related sources: A Beginner's Guide to Anal Sex