B4Y Mag Issue #17 May 2019 May 2019 Issue #17 B4Y | Page 78

Douching A healthy rectum usually only contains shit when the bowel is full and so there is little need to wash it out. If you feel better doing this, or if you are embarking on ‘deep arse play’ (e.g. fisting) then you may want to douche. We recommend that you only ever use plain, clean water, preferably at body temperature. However, douching (even just with water) can irritate the lining of the arse, making it more vulnerable to infections, including HIV [3]. You do not need antiseptics, disinfectants or anything else in a douche, as they can all irritate the lining of the arse even more. Also, it is not recommended to use douches that attach to the shower, for a number of reasons (variable water pressure, you can’t control the amount of water that goes in, difficult to keep clean). If you do want to douche then use the small bulb douche (some men use these to squirt lube up their arse) or the gravity fed bags. You can buy over the counter douches that usually contain ‘additions’ to help with things like constipation. Throw the additions away and rinse out the tube/bulb before you douche. 78