QUESTION: My boyfriend wants to “spice things up” in our sexual relationship, and by “spicing things up” he means trying anal sex. This has always been a little weird to me. Is it even safe?

ANSWER: Oh, men and their infatuation with the female booty. This fascination with a girl’s ba-donk-a-donk leads to the fantasy of anal sex. Why? Some men say curiosity, some say because it’s forbidden or kinky. Others say it feels better because it’s tighter.

Girls, on the other hand, are usually one way or the other on the idea: Either they are adventurous and want to try new things, or they are adventurous but don’t think that thing should ever be tried.

Either way you look at it, there are health concerns about engaging in anal sex.

Let’s consider how all of the organs involved actually work. During sexual intercourse, the vagina is flexible, allowing for the penetration of the penis. It also has a natural lubrication to help the penis enter smoothly and virtually painlessly. The anal cavity is neither flexible nor does it have a natural lubrication.

Without having these two factors, anal sex can cause ripping and be painful. Because of this ripping, males and females are at a higher risk of transmitting sexually transmitted infections, or STIs.

“The penis destroys the delicate anal tissue and germs get in through the tears,” says Matt DesJardien, a Psychology 106 peer coordinator.

Anal sex can also lead to problems later in life such as anal fissures, anal leakage and even lack of bowel control, DesJardien said.

Some women can find pleasure in anal sex. The Daily Princetonian stated in a Nov. 9 article: “The rectum ... shares a wall with the vagina. This means many of the nerve endings which are stimulated during vaginal intercourse or fingering can also be stimulated during anal play. For some women, the G-spot is also stimulated during anal sex. Some women even report that anal sex is better for this purpose than vaginal stimulation!” Now with this information in mind, you have a decision to make. If you still don’t like the idea of anal sex, well, then don’t do it. If you want to try it, be smart about it. Use a water-based lubrication to help with your comfort and a condom to help prevent any STIs.

Also, make sure you openly communicate your decision with your partner. He needs to know how you feel. And if you have decided against having anal sex, maybe the two of you can figure out a different way to “spice things up.” Questions concerning sexual health can be e-mailed to Kelly at kpflugrath@wsu.edu and she will answer them in future columns.