A PROBLEM SHARED

Got a problem? Dr Ranj Singh is here to off er his advice

I had anal sex for the first time recently and since then I’ve been in pain, especially when I go to the toilet. I’ve also noticed a little bit of blood when I go. Could it be something serious?

This is actually not that unusual if you’ve had anal sex

( I’m assuming you bottomed) for the fi rst time. You may have a small tear in the anal ring, sometimes also called an anal fi ssure, which can happen when the area is stretched too quickly.

The fi ssure will eventually heal by itself, but this may take time and it can be quite sore. Sometimes the fi ssure will also bleed, especially when aggravated during activities such as going to the toilet. Making sure you’re not constipated is important – it will be less painful when you open your bowels, and it will help the tear to heal. That means plenty of fruit and fl uids in your diet, please!

You can ask your pharmacist for a stool- softener laxative to use for a short period of time, and some people fi nd soaking in the bath helps with the discomfort.

If the pain is really bad, it might be worth visiting your doctor just in case something else is going on. There is a possibility that a haemorrhoid is causing your problems, and these can usually be dealt with quite easily. Again, the fi rst thing to do when dealing with haemorrhoids is to avoid straining on the loo.

Finally, if you’ve had anal sex without a condom, then it’s a good idea to have a sexual health check done soon. There is a chance that you could have picked up an infection such as gonorrhoea, which can account for some of these symptoms. If you’re sexually active, you should have regular checks anyway.

I’d recommend waiting for things to heal before you attempt anal sex again. It’s important to take it slowly when bottoming to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. Try to be as relaxed as possible and, remember, good foreplay can really make a diff erence. Rather than going straight for it, perhaps start with a fi nger or two fi rst. And obviously, use lots of waterbased lubricant!