How to Have an Anal Orgasm, According to Sex Experts

YOU PROBABLY ALREADY know about the pleasure-inducing benefits of stimulating your prostate gland can bring. But did you know that people of all anatomies and genders can have anal orgasms, too?

“We’re used to thinking of orgasms coming from penis or clitoral stimulation, but we can achieve orgasms from a number of erogenous zones,” says Jon Prezant, LCSW, a sex and couples therapist in New York. “And the anus is certainly one of those places.”

Whether you enter the back door (via penetration) or simply explore the rim, it’s easy to orgasm from anal stimulation, since the area is jam-packed with nerve endings. You don’t even have to touch your front-facing genitals to climax, although simultaneously stimulating the penis or clitoris “often intensifies the experience,” says Casey Tanner, LCPC, a sex therapist and sexpert for pleasure product company Lelo. So long as you're open to trying butt stuff, there's a whole other world of pleasure in front of behind you.

What an Anal Orgasm Feels Like

There’s no single universal description, but a few themes come up consistently. Prezant says that many of his clients describe anal orgasms as “more whole-body, fuller, but less high-peak than genital orgasms,” with a longer-lasting buildup and release. In Tanner’s experience, people often describe anal orgasms as “deeper, fuller, more internal, or more permeating,” sometimes with a sensation that radiates through the pelvis and lower abdomen.

Want to feel one for yourself? Here are some expert-approved anal orgasm tips to help you and your partner(s) achieve that monumental climax.

How to Have an Anal Orgasm

Wash up.

The first step is always washing up. Being clean down there benefits both you and your partner. It’s a nice courtesy to them, and it can help you loosen your muscles and feel even more relaxed—important parts of achieving an anal orgasm, says Josh Gonzalez, MD, a urologist and sexual medicine specialist in Los Angeles.

But FYI: This does not mean you need to anal douche. Some mild soap and water will get the job done.

Set the vibe.

Once you’re all cleaned up, get yourself in the mood. This step can include watching (ethical) porn, listening to relaxing music, making out with your partner, or any activity that turns you on.

Try it yourself first.

Explore your bum before bringing a partner around back. This can involve practicing with a few different techniques to determine what type of stimulation works best for you, says Dr. Gonzalez. You might prefer penetration by inserting a finger or a butt plug, or maybe running a vibrator around the anal opening lights you up. There’s no one way to feel or to go about this—just figure out whatever sensation suits your fancy.

On that note, do your best to avoid feeling any pressure to perform, Prezant says. It’s totally normal (and, honestly, expected!) if you don’t have an anal orgasm on the first few tries. “You’re learning about your body,” he says. “Just collect the data.”

Use lube (always).

However you explore the back door, whether solo or with a partner, “lube is nonnegotiable,” Prezant says. The rectum doesn’t self-lubricate the way the vagina can, and rectal tissue is thinner, so friction can go from “okay” to “ow” fast.

For beginners, Tanner generally recommends a high-quality water-based lube because it’s compatible with silicone sex toys. Silicone-based lube tends to last longer and feels silky, but it will degrade silicone toys, so check the material of your pleasure products first.

She also suggests skipping numbing products, especially if you’re new to anal play. Establishing your pain tolerance is important feedback to learn, and masking it increases the chance you’ll go too fast or too far.

If you have a penis, stimulate the prostate.

The prostate (a.k.a. the P-spot) is a walnut-sized gland tucked roughly two to three inches inside the anus, between the bladder and rectum. Its main function is to produce fluid that is expelled as part of semen during ejaculation, but the prostate is also surrounded by thousands of nerve endings that feel very good when stimulated just right.

In fact, some people can ejaculate from prostate stimulation alone. That’s considered a prostate orgasm, which is slightly different from an anal orgasm. “Every prostate orgasm will involve anal stimulation, but not every anal orgasm involves the prostate,” says Prezant. Basically, prostate orgasms are a type of anal orgasm, but anal orgasms can also happen for people who don’t have a prostate (more on that below).

As for why P-spot stimulation can feel so intense, it has a lot to do with how the prostate gland connects to arousal and orgasm. “The parasympathetic nervous system is active during arousal and erection,” says Michael Ingber, MD, a urologist and urogynecologist at Garden State Urology in New Jersey. “After stimulation of the prostatic nerves, this can result in the activation of the sympathetic nerves, resulting in a powerful orgasm and seminal emission [ejaculation].”

Really, the mechanism by which it happens isn’t that important to understand. Just know that the prostate feels damn good when stimulated, and there are a number of ways to do that, according to Dr. Ingber. Direct stimulation via manual massage can be done by gently inserting a finger roughly two inches into the rectum. “Make sure your nails are trimmed and that your hands are clean or use a glove,” says Dr. Ingber. The last thing you want is to scratch the inside of your anus with your nails.

If you have a partner helping you out, lie on your back and have them insert a finger inside you, making a “come hither” motion (similar to how one might stimulate the G-spot).

Another option is to get into the doggy style position. Then, have your partner insert their finger gently into your anus (make sure to use lots of lube) and press downwards toward the floor, Dr. Ingber says.

Or, you can always try using a prostate massager, a curved sex toy that goes in your rear end and uses vibration to stimulate the P-spot.

If you have a vulva, experiment to find out what feels good.

You may not have a prostate to stimulate, but there are still a few (extremely enjoyable!) ways to experience an anal orgasm.

One route to O-town is by stimulating the sensitive nerves around the anus, including the pudendal nerve. These nerves tend to be located near the sphincter, which is why rimming can feel so good for people with vulvas.

Another path to anal orgasm: Pair butt play with clitoral stimulation. “While anal orgasms don’t always require genital contact, combining stimulation often intensifies the experience,” Tanner says, creating what’s known as a blended orgasm.

If multiple types of stimulation feel too overwhelming, you can instead try indirectly stimulating the internal structures of the vagina with some anal action. Because the rectum and vaginal canal share a wall, some people find that anal penetration creates internal pressure or “fullness” that overlaps with vaginal pleasure zones, Tanner says, such as the G-spot and A-spot.

The A-spot, Explained: Also called the anterior fornix erogenous zone, the A-spot is a sensitive area inside the vagina near the cervix. A-spot orgasms are typically reached through direct vaginal stimulation of that area, but sometimes anal stimulation can lead to A-spot stimulation. That said, there isn’t a huge amount of research on the A-spot, according to Prezant, so a lot of what we know comes from self-reported information and the language people use to describe their experiences.

Even though you’re indirectly stimulating the vagina here, you are still directly stimulating the anus, so it’s a good idea to ease into things. Start with external stimulation around the anus, Dr. Ingber says, before working up to inserting a finger or butt plug.

If your partner is enjoying stimulation from a sex toy and/or your fingers, then—with their explicit and enthusiastic consent—you can consider inserting your penis. Of course, always use a lot of lube (silicone lube is typically better for anal sex because it’s thicker) and go slowly. And remember, if your partner is into it, keep the external clitoral stimulation coming, whether that’s with your fingers or a toy.

5 Beginner-Friendly Sex Positions for Anal Orgasm