Anal sex, especially when you bottom out, feels like a Russian roulette.

In fact, the same can be said for all kinds of sexual acts. Our vigilance has declined, in fact, we are in the most vulnerable state: we are naked, excited, eager to please, and there is a risk that whatever we do will not work. But for the bottom-people who play a receptive role during anal sex-the risk is higher, and many of us feel that we are groping in the dark (either literally or figuratively).

How painful will it be? Shouldn't I eat it before? how long? What if I have an "accident"? These are the questions I have asked myself (or secretly searched on Google) at the bottom. Over the years, many of us have had to rely on trial and error to find best practices—that is, until now. TikTok has become the center of the bottom who wants to learn more about anal sex, how to enjoy it, and most importantly, how to practice it safely. But this begs a bigger question: why have we never taught it?

In the UK, the answer lies in removing LGBTQ people from school curricula for decades, most notably the implementation of Article 28 in 1988. The legislation was promulgated by the Margaret Thatcher government to "prohibit the promotion of homosexuality" by local councils, prohibiting the positive description of LGBTQ identities and relationships in classrooms, libraries, and extracurricular clubs for 15 years until it was abolished in 2003. However, Brooke’s head of policy and affairs, Lisa Hallgarten, a young man in the UK, a charity dedicated to sexual health and well-being, said the problem did not end there.

"Section 28 not only caused complete silence at the time, but also complete silence in the following years," she explained. Hargarten believes that the legacy of legislation makes today's teachers still anxious about talking about LGBTQ sexual behavior. "They are more willing to talk about heterosexual forms of sex because it focuses on reproduction," she said. "They have not been trained to talk about happiness or any other forms of sexual behavior that different couples may have."

Dr. Carlton Thomas produced his first TikTok about bottoming in the summer of 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic escalates worldwide, TikTok is busy taking over the lives of his teenage children at his San Diego home. The 49-year-old gastroenterologist has been working for 17 years and he saw an opportunity to share his expertise in Megan Thee stallion dance routines and banana bread recipes (remember those?). "I am a gay man and an ass doctor, but there is very little anal sex education there," he said. "Who can teach it better than someone who has professional and personal experience in how things work?"

Since then, he has accumulated nearly 250,000 followers on Gen Z’s favorite platform, covering a range of topics related to anal sex-from advice on how to avoid bleeding and flushing (his most popular video, using Store-bought enema guide, 1.6 million views), Kegel exercises, tips for maximum fun, and information about HIV prevention. 

Citing his own childhood lack of homosexual education as the motivation for starting this account, Thomas told me that throughout the medical school and his gastrointestinal doctor training period, anal sex was never mentioned. "I have a lot of questions, so I conducted my own research to get answers," he said. The success of his videos often receives tens of thousands of likes, which confirms that other people around the world have also been looking for these answers. "People want to know how to do anal sex correctly, how to do it well, and how to do it safely," he explained.

But Thomas is not the only active face at the bottom of TikTok. 29-year-old graphic designer Alex Hall lived in New York when he came up with The Bottom's Digest. This is a cooking channel that shares "bottom-friendly" recipes inspired by the German he grew up. Texas and Cajun delicacies are available. The increase in meat prices in the city, coupled with Hall's increasing sensitivity to dairy products, has led to his predominantly plant-based diet, which he said provided many benefits for a bottoming out. "What we eat is an important part of our sex life," he told me. 

Now living in Texas and running this account with his husband Mike, Hall has been looking around for the best (or I should say the cleanest) bottom fuel for years. "What I found is too obvious...salad. I hate salads!" he exclaimed. "Sex and food are the two great pleasures in life. Our community really deprives ourselves of the opportunity to enjoy the other. We shouldn't do this." Whether it is Alfredo pasta, macaroni and cheese, or meatballs, Hall’s comfort food recipes are rich in fiber, and FODMAP (short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols-mainly sugars that cause intestinal discomfort) is low in content, which makes them perfect For the bottom of the desire to avoid bloating, diarrhea and constipation. 

Daniel O'Shaughnessy, nutritionist and author of Naked Nutrition: An LGBTQ+ Guide to Diet and Lifestyle, points out that the perfect bottom diet varies from person to person. "As a general rule, the buttocks need fiber during anal sex," he said. He recommends slowly increasing fiber intake at least 24 hours before important moments to avoid excessive wind and insoluble fiber (FODMAP content may be high, such as broccoli, beans and some whole grains). O'Shaughnessy's other recommendations for underlying nutrients include fermented foods (such as kimchi and kombucha) to improve intestinal health, avoiding dairy products, and chewing food appropriately to promote digestion.

Hall personally tested his bottom friendly recipes, and then ran them to a group of 10 drag queens. After 24 hours, the queen bee will report whether they feel bloated, and if they bottom out, what is the condition. "A lot of people feel heartache when trying to find such information, so it's important that these recipes are really effective," he added.

With the exception of the occasional troll, the response to these two accounts has been very positive. Thomas’ followers often praised him in his comments for completely changing their sex lives, but he said that the real impact of his videos can be found in his DM. Gay men living in countries where homosexuality is illegal—sometimes punishable by the death penalty for homosexuality, such as in Saudi Arabia and Iran—sent him "at least once a week" for advice.

The low-level community on TikTok is not specifically targeted at gay men. For Hall, cis and transgender women accounted for almost half of his followers. But whenever our society talks about sex, heterosexuality, vaginal penile sex has always been the default: teaching in school is mandatory, we read in the advice section of magazines and websites, this is what we are in erotic novels, and Watch it in our favorite TV shows and movies (or avoid watching it awkwardly with family members). The only manifestation of anal sex we actually see on the screen is when it is relegated to cheap gay jokes.

Fortunately, the tide seems to be changing. TikTok’s bottom tab has more than 10.4 million views and is full of honest experience and advice from bottoms all over the world. Accounts like Thomas' and The Bottom's Digest are normalizing these once shameful conversations, while also providing education to the bottom who cannot find information in more traditional places. 

But despite their hard work, these creators still face censorship from TikTok itself. Although the platform prohibits videos containing nudity and sexually explicit content, creators in the field are removing their content and suppressing their influence because they even mention the word “sex” in TikToks, despite the platform’s community The guidelines state that educational content is the rule. Thomas said that he must be selective about what he publishes, and often uses code words and innuendo in his videos to avoid censorship.

Brooke’s Halgarten said this censorship system is problematic, especially for people who can only access sexual information through social media. She is curious about the criteria TikTok uses to judge and delete videos, and whether there are expert organizations involved in this process. "Their approach to sex needs to be more nuanced, and there must be a clear set of values ​​to support the decisions being made," she said. For sex videos that have not been removed from the platform, Hallgarten urges users to check how the information they see on TikTok compares with information from trusted sources such as Brook. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that misinformation on social media is widespread. Hallgarten suggested that platforms can easily add a box to videos containing pornographic content to direct users to expert organizations, such as TikTok and other platforms (finally) that have already completed their mention of the coronavirus.

A TikTok spokesperson said that users can appeal the platform's decision to delete their content or suspend their account if they believe that there has been no violation of the community guidelines. They also pointed out that the quarterly law enforcement report issued by TikTok detailed TikTok's content review practices. However, although these reports of gloating statistics, such as 90% of videos marked as "adult nudity and sexual activity" are deleted within 24 hours of publication, they fail to explain how to distinguish between sex-related educational videos and potentially harmful videos . prohibit.

Information about anal sex should not be reduced to folklore. The bottom should feel able to control their sexual behavior, and an important part of it is to ensure that they have the ability to enjoy anal sex safely. For too long, we have been in the shadows, making it feel like we are hiding a dirty little secret-but thanks to the creators of TikTok, the change is finally on the horizon.

With the help of trusted health organizations including the National Health Service (NHS), Brook, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and the sex education charity Fumble, we have compiled a bottom line of what should and should not be done at the beginning List.

Always make sure you wear a condom on your top. The inner wall of the anus is very fragile and easily damaged, which increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Please make sure you have enough lubricating oil on hand

Your anus is not self-lubricating, so the use of lubricating oil is essential for anal play. Try water-based products, because oil-based lubricants will break down the condom and avoid desensitizing the lubricant-they may prevent you from noticing the pain.

If you have vaginal sex later, please change the condom

This is to avoid transferring bacteria from the anus to the vagina, which can lead to urinary tract infections. 

Be tested for sexually transmitted infections every time you have anal sex with a new partner

This is self-explanatory, but regular STI testing is always recommended.

Be sure to use towels or old sheets

It is purely to facilitate cleaning in the event of an accident.

Start slowly, first with your fingers and toys

If this is your first bottoming (or the first time in a period of time), use a lubricated anal toy (slowly) in advance to get used to this feeling. Foreplay is essential to relax the anal muscles.

If it feels wrong or you want to stop, make sure to communicate with anyone you have sex with. Consent can be given and withdrawn at any time.

Don't continue if it hurts

Bottoming can be uncomfortable (especially if you are a novice), but this is the purpose of foreplay. Pain should never be something you should endure, tears on the anus (called anal fissures) take time to heal. 

Don't forget to breathe

Feeling relaxed is the key. By regulating your breathing, you can help your anus relax. Breathe deeply and slowly at the beginning.

Don't share other people's sex toys 

Avoid this as much as possible, but if not, make sure to clean the toy thoroughly before and after use.

Don't worry too much about poo

A common assumption is that the poop is located directly in the anal sphincter, but this is wrong. Poop is stored in your colon, and when you are on the toilet, it passes through the rectum (where fun occurs) and is discharged from your sphincter. As long as you have been to the bathroom recently, you are unlikely to actually "poop" to your partner.

If you are too worried about it to enjoy yourself, stick to other forms of sex (such as oral sex) until you are satisfied with the fact that the shit does happen. Anal irrigation is common in lower-level communities and is used to clean the rectum before intercourse, but it has pros and cons.