Health & Safety Guide

Latest Update: May 2024

Warning Signs

What are some things to keep an eye out for when you’re playing.

Some Basics

The lining of the intestines do not have pain receptors, only those that sense pressure, and so your attention to what these are telling you could save your life someday.  When you’re feeling discomfort or even just a sensation, it’s due to pressure on the side walls. Determining the level of pressure and where it’s occurring is important.

Pressure can be felt with any expanding sphincter or when a section of colon is rapidly expanded so it’s not always a bad thing, the key is to learn to understand the difference. This is where a knowledgeable partner can help you understand and navigate the nuances of your colon. But if you’re playing alone, keeping an awareness about you, and an investigative, slow approach can go a long way to helping you stay healthy and enjoying your play for many years.

To provide some context, the intestinal wall is kind of like your cheek, delicate on the inside and can be scratched and bleed, but it is backed up by muscle and tissue as well, far more robust than the wet tissue paper of urban legend. However, it is more vulnerable to puncture than your cheek, due motly to the many nooks and bends that create dead-ends and potential for toys to get stuck instead of just sliding through the lumen.

I See Blood

The presence of blood can scare some but it is not always indicative of something serious. The most important thing is to get to learn what is normal for your own body so that you can recognize when something EXTRA-ordinary happens. And please never hesitate to seek medical help if you sense something isn’t quite right – even when there is no pain.

Seeing any blood would be one reason to stop and see what’s going on.  I have heard of people who had perforated their intestine and besides some bleeding had no other immediate indication that is what they had done. HOWEVER, it is notable and worth saying here that all the injuries I’ve ever known over a lifetime of play, were in people who were under the influence of some substance, which shows that playing with a clear mind is already pretty good insurance.

Slightly pink lube usually indicates some ruptured capillaries or a hemorrhoid and can be common or routine for some. It doesn’t take much to turn lube pink. Bright red blood is an indication of a more active injury. Although this is not a common occurrence, it is a normal part of play for some.

Communicating this to your play partner is always good practice, and a good partner will always ask if color they see is normal. If they are unfamiliar with you they may also decide to stop play entirely at this point which, remember, is always their prerogative.

Tearing and Fissures

Inserting toys without allowing your anus to warm up and relax properly, or working way beyond what the skin of your sphincter is capable of can cause fissures. These are small tears in the tissues lining your hole and can be the source of a lot of pain, putting you out of commission for weeks or months while they heal.  It takes time to work up to taking a larger toy, so always allow yourself the time and enjoy yourself while protecting your precious ‘ass’ets.

The Second Ring

I talk more in depth about the Second Ring in the Physiology section. It is an involuntary muscle and may not be reacting like you think it is at any given point in time. A person inside of you can feel what is going on, but with toys you should listen to your body to know when it might be tightening up. Like I’ll be playing deeper and having a great time when a thought carrying stress enters my mind and I feel a sudden pain down behind my pubic bone, which is my Second Ring tightening up.  Knowing what all this is I can focus on bringing myself back to center before continuing.  Bruising and tearing are what you want to avoid here. The Second Ring is partly involved in keeping you continent, so treat it gently and play with a clear head.

I have heard of people hurting themselves at this depth, and I’ve even bruised mine a few times, causing me mild soreness just behind my pelvic bone, and my bowels stopped for a few days too, a common occurrence when any part of the intestine finds itself agitated. My situation has always resolved on its own after a few days rest, but if it doesn’t for you it might be indicative of a more serious injury and you should seek medical help.

The Third Ring

Same overall guidelines can be applies to the entrance to the Sigmoid at the end of the rectum. It too relaxes and tightens on its own, so I’ve experienced the exact same scenario as with my Second Ring in that it can suddenly tighten on its own if my focus shifts and I suddenly feel it.  Soreness here can be felt further up in the abdomen, on me when I’ve given it a good workout and it’s a little sore for a day or two, I feel it midway between my pubic bone and navel, slightly on my right side.