Factors Associated With Fecal Incontinence After Receptive Anal Intercourse in Men Who Have Sex With Men

Fecal incontinence, or the involuntary leakage of stool, is an anorectal dysfunction that may have an effect on women and men of all sexual orientations. Although it’s a situation that may negatively affect an individual’s high quality of life, it’s regarded as underreported resulting from sufferers’ embarrassment and the traditionally taboo nature of the subject.

Many research have targeted on infectious situations that may be transmitted throughout receptive anal intercourse (RAI), however few have been dedicated to assessing RAI and fecal incontinence. As such, the authors of a brand new examine revealed within the Journal of Sexual Medication aimed to find out the prevalence of fecal incontinence in a big pattern of males who’ve intercourse with males (MSM) who interact in RAI. Moreover, they strived to establish danger components related to fecal incontinence on this inhabitants.

For this analysis, the authors leveraged an nameless, on-line self-administered survey initially developed by Public Well being France (the French well being ministry) to evaluate HIV prevention methods in MSM in France referred to as the “Enquête Rapport Au Sexe” (ERAS). This examine included one query associated to fecal incontinence: “Over the past month, have you ever skilled any involuntary leakage of stools?”

Members have been recruited to take the ERAS survey by way of digital banners on homosexual relationship websites, apps, and information websites. A complete of 24,308 people participated within the survey, and 21,762 people have been included within the current evaluation. (As a result of the purpose of this examine was to evaluate fecal incontinence in MSM, members who had by no means had intercourse with a person or who didn’t reply to the query about stool leakage have been excluded from this pattern).

Of the 21,762 members included, 1,734 (8%) reported leaking stool within the earlier month. General, these respondents have been barely older than those that had not reported leaking stool within the earlier month (a median age of 38.5 years versus a median age of 32 years). This group additionally had the next proportion of unemployed and retired people (8.2% versus 5.4% unemployed, 11.9% versus 6.3% retired).

The boys who responded that they engaged in RAI a number of occasions per week confirmed a 12.7% prevalence of fecal incontinence in comparison with a 5.7% prevalence for these not partaking in RAI. Those that participated in chemsex (utilizing psychoactive substances throughout sexual exercise) had considerably larger charges of fecal incontinence than those that didn’t (21.4% versus 7.2%), as did those that engaged in fisting or arduous BDSM practices (18.1% versus 7.2%).  

Given these outcomes, the authors recognized high-frequency RAI, age, decrease socioeconomic standing, chemsex, and fisting or arduous BDSM practices as components associated to fecal incontinence for MSM. Alternatively, those that engaged in what the authors referred to as “easy RAI” (RAI as soon as per week with out chemsex or fisting) didn’t display a considerably elevated danger of fecal incontinence.

Assets:

Garros, A., Bourrely, M., Sagaon-Teyssier, L., Sow, A., Lydie, N., Duchesne, L., Higuero, T., Damon, H., Velter, A., & Abramowitz, L. (2021) Threat of Fecal Incontinence Following Receptive Anal Intercourse: Survey of 21,762 Males Who Have Intercourse With Males. The Journal of Sexual Medication, 18(11), 1880-1890. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.07.014