Anal beads are a
sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibrating ...
consisting of multiple balls attached in series. Individual balls are continuously inserted through the anus into the
rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the s ...
and then removed with varying speeds depending on the desired effect. The main use of anal beads are to help stimulate and or create a orgasm.
Design
Anal beads are available in many sizes, with individual beads measuring from 25 mm in diameter to 125 mm in diameter or larger. Most users enjoy beads of approximately 45 mm, but those more adventurous or with experience may try larger sizes. Anal beads are commonly made of
silicone
A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...
,
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
,
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
,
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...
,
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
, or
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
, and normally end with a ring or similar handle designed for pulling. The purpose of this ring is to prevent the beads from becoming fully lodged in the rectum and to make the toy easier to remove. The beads may either be joined flexibly, requiring individual insertion or by a semi-rigid thin shaft, allowing anal insertion in a single motion.
The many nerve endings of the
sphincter
A sphincter is a circular muscle that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice and which relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning. Sphincters are found in many animals. There are over 60 types in the hum ...
provide
arousal
Arousal is the physiological and psychological state of being awoken or of sense organs stimulated to a point of perception. It involves activation of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) in the brain, which mediates wakefulness, th ...
both during insertion and removal, while larger beads may create a feeling of pressure in the rectum. Removing anal beads at the point of
orgasm
Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charac ...
heightens sensations, leading to a much stronger orgasm.
Some anal beads are enhanced with
vibration
Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic function, periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum ...
technology.
Use
Anal beads are commonly incorporated during
anal sex
Anal sex or anal intercourse is generally the insertion and thrusting of the erect penis into a person's anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure.Sepages 270–271for anal sex information, anpage 118for information about the clitoris. ...
,
ass worship,
genital
A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
or
anal masturbation
Anal masturbation is the masturbation, erotic self-stimulation of the anus and rectum. For humans, common methods of anal masturbation include manual stimulation of the anal opening, and the insertion of an object or objects. Items inserted ma ...
, or any activity involving the buttocks, anus, or the anal area.
As with all anal sexual activity, the anal beads and the rectum should be well-lubricated with a
sexual lubricant
Personal lubricants (colloquially termed lube) are specialized lubricants used during sexual acts, such as intercourse and masturbation, to reduce friction to or between the penis and vagina, anus or other body parts or applied to sex toys to ...
intended for anal sex. It is important to do this, as the rectum can be easily ripped,
torn, or injured. Silicone-based lubricants should not be used with silicone anal beads, as the lubricant will erode the beads. Anal sex toys should be well washed with warm soapy water and left to dry naturally after use. Alternatively, they can be placed inside a
condom
A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...
, which is recommended if they are shared with a partner.
Care must also be taken to count the beads before and after use to ensure that they are all removed from the anus, as strings have reportedly broken during intense rectal movements. If a bead gets stuck in the rectum and cannot be expelled naturally, medical intervention may be necessary; once the toy passes the anal sphincter, it can be pulled upwards, into the
colon.
Safety
If the beads are threaded onto a string, which is a porous material, they cannot be fully disinfected. Anal beads should not be shared between partners without using a physical barrier, such as a latex or
neoprene
Neoprene (also polychloroprene) is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene.Werner Obrecht, Jean-Pierre Lambert, Michael Happ, Christiane Oppenheimer-Stix, John Dunn and Ralf Krüger "Rubber, 4. Emulsion R ...
condom, to prevent the transfer of
feces
Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relati ...
. Sharing unsterilized anal toys can expose users to various
sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex ...
. Anal beads that have been inserted into an anus should not be inserted into a vagina, as this causes
yeast infections and
bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a disease of the vagina caused by excessive growth of bacteria. Common symptoms include increased vaginal discharge that often smells like fish. The discharge is usually white or gray in color. Burning with urination ...
, as well as various sexually transmitted diseases.
In popular culture
''South Park''
Anal beads serve as the primary weapon for one of the priests in the critically acclaimed 2017 ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' role-playing video game ''
South Park: The Fractured but Whole''.
Carlsen–Niemann cheating controversy
In the 2022
Sinquefield Cup
The Sinquefield Cup is an annual, invitation-only chess tournament in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, honoring Rex Sinquefield and his wife Jeanne, the founders of the Saint Louis Chess Club. Since 2015, the Sinquefield Cup has been a part of ...
, a prestigious
chess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition amo ...
, reigning
World Champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the reigning five-time World Chess Champion. He is also a three-time World Rapid Chess Champion and five-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen has h ...
withdrew from the tournament after implying that the opponent he lost to,
Hans Niemann
Hans Moke Niemann (born June 20, 2003) is an American chess grandmaster and Twitch streamer. He was awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE on January 22, 2021. In July 2021, he won the World Open chess tournament in Philadelphia. Niemann first en ...
, was
cheating
Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given preference using inappropriate cr ...
. An
internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
, first propagated as a joke in
grandmaster Eric Hansen's
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle con ...
chat, suggested that Niemann was cheating using anal beads that vibrated the
computer-suggested move via
Morse Code
Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of ...
. The meme spread throughout the internet, even appearing on late-night talk shows such as ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second it ...
'' and
''The Daily Show with Trevor Noah''.
See also
*
Anal masturbation
Anal masturbation is the masturbation, erotic self-stimulation of the anus and rectum. For humans, common methods of anal masturbation include manual stimulation of the anal opening, and the insertion of an object or objects. Items inserted ma ...
*
Anal vibrator Unisex Superslim Buttplug - Flickr - stnu.
{{unsourced, date=June 2018
An anal vibrator is a vibrator designed for sexual stimulation of the anus of both men and women. All anal vibrators have one common feature: they produce a vibrating effect ...
*
Ben Wa balls
Ben Wa balls, also known as orgasm balls, or Venus balls ( "vagina ball", or "internal-use ball"), are small, marble-sized balls, usually hollow and containing a small weight, that roll around and are used for sexual stimulation by insertio ...
*
Butt plug
A butt plug is a sex toy that is designed to be inserted into the rectum for sexual pleasure. They are similar to a dildo in some ways but tend to be shorter and have a flanged end to prevent the device from being lost inside the rectum.
Histor ...
*
Pegging
*
Prostate massage
Prostate massage is the massage or stimulation of the male prostate gland for medical purposes or sexual stimulation.
The prostate takes part in the sexual response cycle, and is essential for the production of semen. Due to its proximity to th ...
r
References
Go Ask Alice: Anal Beads*Silverberg, Cory
Further reading
*
{{Masturbation
Masturbation
Anal sex toys