For those into it, of course, receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is apparently good for your overall mental health.
This is according to a study – “Receptive Anal Intercourse: Impact on Colorectal and Urologic Diagnoses” by Thomas W. Gaither, Tara Shahrvini, Nathan W. Vincent, Marcia Russell, and Mark S. Litwin – that appeared in LGBT Health.
In this study, the researchers wanted to evaluate the relationship between lifetime RAI and the risk of common colorectal and urologic diagnoses. So they conducted an internet-based survey on sensations during RAI between July 2022 and March 2023. They then used multivariable logistic regression to assess the independent impact of lifetime RAI exposure on the diagnosis of common urologic and colorectal conditions, after the participants completed a main survey and were invited to complete randomly assigned patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), which measured pelvic symptoms, mental health symptoms, and sexual satisfaction.
In total, 1,100 participants completed the main survey and 416 completed the PROMs. Participants of the main survey ranged from 18 to 78 years old and the median age of the sample was 32 years.
The study found that there was no significant association between lifetime RAI exposure and any medical diagnosis, except for anal fissures, which increased linearly with additional RAI exposure.
Here’s an interesting finding: Both sexual satisfaction and mental health symptoms improved with RAI exposure.
RAI is not associated with most of the colorectal and urologic diagnoses tested, emphasized the researchers. Development of anal fissures may be directly related to trauma of the anal canal from penetration.
They added that – beyond the original scope of the study – RAI is also “associated with fewer mental symptoms and increased sexual satisfaction.”
So yep… bottoms celebrate!