You can have sex if you have piles… but go carefully.
Suffering from piles when you’re a bottom or even a power bottom could spell disaster for your sex life. The fact is that piles or haemorrhoids are a fact of life for many people.
Piles are caused by swollen veins in the anus. They can be caused by straining when going to the toilet (number two), mainly during constipation, and many people don’t even know they have them – because they can occur inside your rectum – where you can’t see them.
When they come out your bottom, that’s when they can become a bit of a problem.
Does anal cause piles?
But before we go on, let’s clear one thing up, they aren’t caused by having anal sex.
Jose Perez de la Cruz, a Public Health Practitioner at the Terrence Higgins Trust told us, “anal sex has the potential to inflame pre-existing haemorrhoids (piles), though research shows that it does not cause them in the first place. So long as the piles are not actively bleeding or painful at the time of intercourse then it is probably safe to have sex”.
So should you take a break from anal sex if you’ve actively got piles going on? Jose continues, “I would recommend using Preparation H (under a fiver) or Germoloids (over a fiver) to help control pain and inflammation and to reduce swelling. During sex, it is also important that you use a good water-based lubricant, particularly during acts of multiple people or high-frequency sexual activity as this will reduce the chance of any inflammation being caused.”
He also suggests that they are unlikely to burst during sex, but suggests if the piles don’t clear up after a while that you book an appointment with your doctor to talk options.
The advice listed above is not intended to replace or take the place of that of your own doctor, GP or medical professional who knows your full medical history. If in any doubt make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.
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