What is Rimming?
Rimming, also known as analingus or a “rim job,” is a form of oral sex that involves using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate a partner's anus.
It is called “rimming” because it mainly involves kissing or licking the outer edge of the anus. Rimming can also include penetrating a partner's anus with the tongue.
Who Engages in Rimming?
Rimming is a common sexual practice that individuals of all genders and sexual orientations can enjoy. While it is often associated with men who have sex with men, heterosexual individuals also regularly engage in rimming.
This is because the pudendal nerve, which enables sexual stimulation of reproductive organs, also services the anus and perineum, leading to sexual arousal for many people.
According to a 2021 survey by the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Australia, 25.5% of heterosexual males and 9.3% of heterosexual females reported performing rimming on a sex partner within the past three months.
Risks and Safety
As pleasurable as rimming can be, there are certain risks associated with the practice. Rimming can expose individuals to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections that can be transmitted through contact with feces.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Rimming can transmit STIs such as chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea, oral herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), and syphilis.
Some STIs can pass through skin-to-skin contact and open sores. To reduce the risk of STI transmission through rimming, it is important to limit the number of sex partners, use dental dams, and avoid rimming if there are any signs of infection.
Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic Infections
Rimming carries the risk of infections from bacteria, parasites, and viruses that pass through the anus during defecation.
Some infections that can be transmitted through the fecal-oral route include amoebiasis, E. coli, cryptosporidiosis, shigella, giardiasis, and various types of hepatitis. Maintaining good personal hygiene, using antibacterial soap, and avoiding rimming during gastrointestinal infections can help reduce the risk of infection.