Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWho Does Rimming?Risks and SafetyIs Rimming the Same as Anal?How to Prepare for RimmingHow to Give a Rim Job
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Who Does Rimming?
Risks and Safety
Is Rimming the Same as Anal?
How to Prepare for Rimming
How to Give a Rim Job
Rimming—also known asanalingus,anilingus, or a “rim job”—is a form oforal sexin which the mouth, lips, and tongue are used to stimulate a partner’s anus. It is referred to as “rimming” because it largely involves the kissing or licking of the outer edge (rim) of the anus. Rimming may also involve penetrating a partner’s anus with the tongue.
This article explains what rimming is, how to prepare, and the possible risks associated with this common sexual practice.
Frank and Helena / Getty Images
Rimming is a common sexual practice. While many people associate it withmen who have sex with men (MSM), people who identify as heterosexual regularly engage in rimming.
The pudendal nerve enables the sexual stimulation of reproductive organs like the penis and vagina. Since branches of the pudendal nerve also service the anus and perineum, licking, kissing, orfingeringthese non-reproductive structures can also lead to sexual arousal. This is why so many people find rimming so pleasurable.
Is It Safe to Rim Someone?
Sexually Transmitted Infections
As with other types of oral sex, there is no risk of pregnancy associated with rimming. However, rimming may expose someone to anSTI.
STIs like syphilis and herpes can pass through contact with open sores and ulcers. Herpes and HPV can also be passed through skin-to-skin contact.
There are several key ways to prevent getting an STI through rimming:
Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic Infections
Rimming carries the risk of infections from bacteria, parasites, and viruses that pass through the anus during defecation (also known as thefecal-oral route).
Among the infections you can get via the fecal-oral route are:
Many of the same precautions used to prevent STIs can also apply to these fecal-oral infections. In addition:
What Is Oral Sex?
Rimming is not the same as anal sex. Rimming can be enjoyed as a standalone act or used as foreplay to any other sexual activity you and your partner are up for.
Sphinctersare circular muscles that open and close to regulate the passage of substances through the body. These include substances like food (esophageal sphincters), urine (urethral sphincters), and feces (anal sphincters).
The anal sphincter consists of an involuntary internal sphincter muscle that keeps the anus closed to prevent poop from leaking out. The external anal sphincter muscle is voluntary and can be clenched and unclenched to help push feces from the body.
The pudendal nerve is a major nerve group located in the pelvis. It sends nerve signals from the genitals and anus to the brain and plays a central role in your ability to defecate (poop) and urinate (pee).
The pudendal nerve also provides sensory information about touch, pleasure, pain, and temperature to thepenis,vagina,clitoris,scrotum,labia,vulva,perineum(the area between the anus and genitals), andanal canal.
Consent is essential to giving and receiving a rim job. Many factors play a role in people’s attitudes towards anal play.
Have an open conversation with your partner (without pressuring them) about whether they’re OK with rimming. Listen to their concerns and be prepared to accept their response, even if it’s not the one you were hoping for.
If you’re on the receiving end, be clear about whether you’re comfortable with rimming or not.
If your partner is asking you to give a rim job, be truthful and straightforward about whether you’re willing to engage in rimming.
There are three steps in giving a rim job.
Step 1: Clean and trim.Wash the anal area with regular soap and warm water. Trimming is optional and sometimes trimming the hair around the anus may cause skin irritation and ingrown hairs.
Step 3: Give the rim job.Get in whatever position is most comfortable. There is no set way to give a rim job, but some possibilities include:
Summary
Rimming is a sexual practice in which the mouth, lips, and tongue are used to sexually stimulate a partner’s anus. It is a common practice for both males and females and people of different sexual orientations.
Rimming can be pleasurable but pose certain risks. STIs like herpes, syphilis, and HPV can be readily passed through rimming, You can also get bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections (like dysentery, hepatitis A, and intestinal worms) through the fecal-oral route.
A reduction in your number of sex partners, the consistent use of dental dams, and other safer sex practices can help reduce your risk of infection when performing or receiving a “rim job.”
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Phillips TR, Constantinou H, Fairley CK, et al.Oral, vaginal and anal sexual practices among heterosexual males and females attending a sexual health clinic: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12668. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312668Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S.Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens.World J Virol. 2023;12(3):136-150. doi:10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136Menza TW, Lipira L, Bhattarai A, Ramirez FJ, Orellana ER.Self-reported screening for rectal sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men.Sex Transm Dis. 2019;46(10):683-688. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001046Kumar T, Puri G, Avarinda K, Arora N, Patil D, Gupta R.Oral sex and oral health; an enigma in itself.Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS.2015:36(2):129-132. doi:10.4103/0253-7184.167133Torrone EA, Lewis FMT, Kirkcaldy RD, et al.Genital mycoplasma, shigellosis, Zika, pubic lice, and other sexually transmitted infections: neither gone nor forgotten.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):310-314. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001367McNeil CJ, Kirkcaldy RD, Workowski K.Enteric infections in men who have sex with men.Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74(Suppl_2):S169-S178. doi:10.1093/cid/ciac061
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Phillips TR, Constantinou H, Fairley CK, et al.Oral, vaginal and anal sexual practices among heterosexual males and females attending a sexual health clinic: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12668. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312668Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S.Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens.World J Virol. 2023;12(3):136-150. doi:10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136Menza TW, Lipira L, Bhattarai A, Ramirez FJ, Orellana ER.Self-reported screening for rectal sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men.Sex Transm Dis. 2019;46(10):683-688. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001046Kumar T, Puri G, Avarinda K, Arora N, Patil D, Gupta R.Oral sex and oral health; an enigma in itself.Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS.2015:36(2):129-132. doi:10.4103/0253-7184.167133Torrone EA, Lewis FMT, Kirkcaldy RD, et al.Genital mycoplasma, shigellosis, Zika, pubic lice, and other sexually transmitted infections: neither gone nor forgotten.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):310-314. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001367McNeil CJ, Kirkcaldy RD, Workowski K.Enteric infections in men who have sex with men.Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74(Suppl_2):S169-S178. doi:10.1093/cid/ciac061
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Phillips TR, Constantinou H, Fairley CK, et al.Oral, vaginal and anal sexual practices among heterosexual males and females attending a sexual health clinic: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12668. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312668Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S.Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens.World J Virol. 2023;12(3):136-150. doi:10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136Menza TW, Lipira L, Bhattarai A, Ramirez FJ, Orellana ER.Self-reported screening for rectal sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men.Sex Transm Dis. 2019;46(10):683-688. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001046Kumar T, Puri G, Avarinda K, Arora N, Patil D, Gupta R.Oral sex and oral health; an enigma in itself.Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS.2015:36(2):129-132. doi:10.4103/0253-7184.167133Torrone EA, Lewis FMT, Kirkcaldy RD, et al.Genital mycoplasma, shigellosis, Zika, pubic lice, and other sexually transmitted infections: neither gone nor forgotten.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):310-314. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001367McNeil CJ, Kirkcaldy RD, Workowski K.Enteric infections in men who have sex with men.Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74(Suppl_2):S169-S178. doi:10.1093/cid/ciac061
Phillips TR, Constantinou H, Fairley CK, et al.Oral, vaginal and anal sexual practices among heterosexual males and females attending a sexual health clinic: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12668. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312668
Jagirdhar GSK, Pulakurthi YS, Chigurupati HD, Surani S.Gastrointestinal tract and viral pathogens.World J Virol. 2023;12(3):136-150. doi:10.5501/wjv.v12.i3.136
Menza TW, Lipira L, Bhattarai A, Ramirez FJ, Orellana ER.Self-reported screening for rectal sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men.Sex Transm Dis. 2019;46(10):683-688. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001046
Kumar T, Puri G, Avarinda K, Arora N, Patil D, Gupta R.Oral sex and oral health; an enigma in itself.Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS.2015:36(2):129-132. doi:10.4103/0253-7184.167133
Torrone EA, Lewis FMT, Kirkcaldy RD, et al.Genital mycoplasma, shigellosis, Zika, pubic lice, and other sexually transmitted infections: neither gone nor forgotten.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):310-314. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001367
McNeil CJ, Kirkcaldy RD, Workowski K.Enteric infections in men who have sex with men.Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74(Suppl_2):S169-S178. doi:10.1093/cid/ciac061
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