Self-Exploration Without A Map

A relative newcomer to anal play has started to feel considerable pain in his prostate. Did he do something wrong? Has he damaged his prostate, and can he fix it? Read on, get the facts and find out!

Case #: 1736

Concern：

I'm a 27 year old male and I have been feeling pain in my prostate for almost a month now. I have been having some fun with anal play by putting my fingers inside of my bum until I strike the prostate and ejaculate. I masturbated like this for quite some time and now my prostate is in pain. I am worried that I might have prostatitis because I have been reading the symptoms. I want to know if I'm doing something wrong or what I can do to fix this pain.

Discussion：

Many heterosexual males find themselves surprised by the level of pleasure they experience from prostate massage, which is the actual source of pleasure from “anal play”. The gland itself incorporates many nerves linked to both the sympathetic and parasympathetic networks but is not normally subject to a lot of stimulation. In many ways, this makes the gland extremely sensitive to physical stimulation, much like a physically-mature penis might be if it were kept from stimulation for the man's entire childhood and adolescence.

The typical man who experiments with anal masturbation without supervision is unprepared for the intensity of the experience. Also, he will likely pursue it to excess and with inadequate preparation or regard for health and safety, as you may well have done. Over-masturbation affects your entire body, but your prostate is particularly vulnerable since it has to manufacture fresh supplies of prostatic fluid with each ejaculation.

Base Camp And Orientation

Much like going camping with inadequate supplies can put your life at risk, engaging in anal play without proper preparation can lead to health problems. For example, consider your fingernails. It may be tempting to dismiss clean and trimmed fingernails as irrelevant, since you'll be sticking them into your anus. Please recall that feces is usually soft, and almost invariably rounded in shape, while your fingernail is reasonably hard and can be sharp enough to scrape or tear the thin tissue-wall between your rectum and your prostate. You might consider looking over the basic instructions on this page to see if you have been missing a few important steps, or performing them incorrectly. (TRY: Prostate Pain Relief Massage)

Recommended Tools And Supplies

You may also find a prostate massaging tool a useful substitute for your fingers. Certainly easier to clean and available in a wide array of sizes, shapes and materials, a prostate massager can potentially provide even better prostate stimulation. However, the same rules apply when using a device as when using your own equipment. This page will give you some pointers on how to use one safely. (Try: Prostate Massagers for Pain Relief)

Trail Safety

First, keep it clean, whether you plan to use your fingers, a toy, or a partner's penis. Wash it with soap and clean water, even if the prostate massager is still factory-sealed. Know the difference between “dirty play” and genuinely unsanitary and therefore unsafe behavior. This also means empty your bowels and bladder before you begin, to avoid voiding them during the experience and potentially exposing yourself to infection.

Second, use lubricant. Even more so than vaginal intercourse, anal sex needs lubricant for a safe experience. The term “anus” comes from a Latin word meaning “ring” or “circle” and refers to the rings of muscle surrounding the orifice, and lubricant will be necessary to allow even the most friction-proof anal massager to slide into place as easily as possible.

Third, go slow. Even the most experienced anal player is still subject to the limits of human tissue-strength, and the slightest tear in the wall of the rectum or anus can lead to significant infections. Slowness allows both partners to quickly notice when the experience has gone from “pleasurable” to “injured” as quickly as possible, and even to avoid injury before it happens.

Finally, call for help if you're in trouble. Your health-care provider will be able to examine your prostate in person, and can give you a far more accurate diagnosis of what is happening. It is possible that you have gotten an infection, but your health-care provider's opinion will be far more valuable than mine at this point. Good luck!