Lest you forget - everyone has an anus

3 Quickies for Dr. Will Wong

Dr. Will Wong of the Chicago Department of Public Health is one of the featured sexperts at this Tuesday night's "Tunnel of Love" forum, hosted by the Feast of Fools.

He let us peak at his talking points.

1. Why should we care about anal health?
Caring about anal health is important for several reasons. First of all, everyone has an anus; whether you are a man or a woman; you were very likely born with one. Second, having good health, generally speaking, should be important for everyone. Having good health also includes having good anal health, since the anus is a part of our body, and having optimal health of this body part should be everyone’s goal. Promoting anal health is similar to promoting good health for other aspects of lives including having optimal sexual health, mental health, and heart health.

2. What is the biggest misconception we have about our butts?
The anus is often neglected by society because of stigma and social taboos around openly talking about a part of the body that is involved with the elimination of waste. However, the anus also functions as a sexual organ as well as an orifice for taking in treatments such as suppositories or enemas. Anal sex is common among men and women in our society. It is therefore necessary to take care of your anus, especially if it is involved with sexual activity. Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV can be transmitted through anal sex, and anal cancer can occur in both men and women. The greatest misconception, though, is probably overcoming our fear of openly talking about the anus and about what we need to do to have good anal health. It is also important to have a health care provider who can provide care for your total health and with whom you can talk freely about anal health issues such as having receptive anal sex, using toys, fisting, drug use, STDs and HIV status.

3. Is examining someone’s butt as embarrassing for you as it is for us?
Performing an anal exam should not be embarrassing because it is a part of a comprehensive examination, and it is done routinely. Remember, everyone has an anus.