Pegging: a health and safety guide

Pegging is a form of anal sex in which one partner uses a strap-on to penetrate the other partner's anus. One 2025 study describes it as a woman doing this with a man, but the health and safety points are the same for anyone involved, whatever your genders. This guide explains the meaning of pegging in plain English, then the practical side, drawn from UK sexual health sources: consent and talking first, lube, condoms on toys, cleaning, infections, and why pain is a sign to stop.

What is pegging?

Pegging means one partner wearing a strap-on (a sex toy attached at the waist, as a 2024 paper in Sexual Medicine describes it) to penetrate the other's anus. A 2025 study in China, published in the Journal of Sex Research, describes pegging as a sexual act in which a woman uses a strap-on dildo to penetrate a man's anus.

Brook, a UK sexual health charity, counts any penetration of the anus with a sex toy, penis or fingers as anal sex. So pegging is anal sex, and the same safety advice applies.

Is pegging gay?

Brook doesn't mention pegging, but its page on anal sex says: "Everyone's sexual experiences and turn-ons are unique and are not defined by their sexuality." It adds that anal sex may be just one part of someone's sexual expression and does not have to define it.

Is pegging safe?

Pegging carries the risks of any anal sex with a toy: small tears in the delicate lining of the anus, infections passed on through shared toys, fingers or contact with poo, and pain. Brook says this lining is easily damaged, which makes it easier for STIs to pass on than with other types of sex.

How do you talk about pegging and agree to it?

Talk before you try it, and agree on it together. Brook says anal sex should be discussed and agreed beforehand, even if someone has already consented to another type of sex, and that consent is a continuous action rather than a one-time thing: either of you can stop at any point.

Brook suggests talking beforehand about any worries and expectations, and about things such as speed and depth. During sex, Brook suggests checking in regularly, including before and after you try anything new, such as a change of speed, depth, size or position. Brook also explains that if you feel anxious, the muscles around the anus are harder to relax, and an uncomfortable or painful experience is more likely. Nobody should pressure anyone, or feel pressured, into doing anything they don't want to do.

What lube should you use for pegging?

Use plenty, and pick one that's safe with condoms. Unlike the vagina, the anus isn't self-lubricating, Brook explains, so lots of lube makes anal sex more comfortable and helps prevent tearing, which can increase the risk of STIs. Brook says most condoms can only be used with water-based or silicone-based lube, because oil-based products can damage them, and the NHS says not to use oil-based lubricant with latex condoms.

One study found a link between using saliva as lube and gonorrhoea. In a survey of 1,312 men who have sex with men at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia, published in 2016, using a partner's saliva as lube for anal sex was linked with gonorrhoea in the rectum, and the authors estimated that almost half of those cases (48.9%, with a range of 7.9% to 71.7%) might be avoided if men stopped. It was a one-off survey at a single clinic, so it can show a link but can't prove that saliva caused the infections. There's more in our guide to lube for anal sex.

Should you put a condom on a strap-on?

Yes. Brook says it's really important to use a condom for anal sex involving a penis or sex toy, and the NHS notes that some people put condoms on sex toys. If a toy is shared, the NHS says to wash it and cover it with a new condom before anyone else uses it.

Change the condom when the toy moves from one body to another, or from the anus to a vagina. Brook advises a new condom, and washing your hands if you've touched the anus, before any vaginal sex, because bacteria moved from the anus to the vagina could cause a urinary infection. The NHS explains that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria from poo, and that women have a shorter urethra than men, so bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder.

How do you clean a strap-on?

Wash it before anyone else uses it. The NHS says to wash shared sex toys and cover them with a new condom, Brook says to clean them thoroughly between people, and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), a UK HIV and sexual health charity, advises, in its hepatitis C advice for group sex, cleaning objects with warm water and anti-bacterial soap before using them on a new partner.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also advises against sharing sex toys or douching equipment, to reduce the spread of shigella.

Does pegging hurt?

Pegging shouldn't hurt. Brook says that whatever type of sex you're having, there shouldn't be any pain, and that if either of you feels pain at any point, you should stop and check in with each other. It's very easy to tear the delicate skin of the anus, and these tears, called fissures, can take a while to heal.

If something hurts, Brook says the answer may be to slow down, to allow more time to relax or to use more lube, and that you may decide to stop there. It warns that the larger the object, the higher the risk of damaging the muscles and the lining of the anus, and that you need to communicate with each other about when you are ready. You shouldn't put up with pain or discomfort for the sake of your partner's pleasure, and if anal sex hurts even when you're relaxed and comfortable, Brook advises visiting a sexual health clinic or your GP.

What about hygiene and mess?

A little mess is normal. Brook says anal sex involves some poo, and that accidents happen and are totally normal. To prepare for pegging, Brook says the easiest way to minimise the risk of accidents is to have a poo beforehand, and that gently washing the area first with water and gentle soap is a good idea.

Some people douche (wash inside the anus and rectum with water) for extra peace of mind. Brook warns that douching can be damaging: it washes away the healthy bacteria and protective mucus in the anus, and done incorrectly it can damage the delicate lining and leave you more open to infections, including STIs. Our guide on how to prepare for anal sex covers douching.

Which infections can pass on during pegging?

Infections can pass on through shared toys, fingers and condoms, and through contact with poo. The NHS names sharing sex toys as a way to pass on genital herpes, genital warts and HIV (from someone with a detectable viral load), and says chlamydia can spread through fluids that get onto sex toys and hands.

THT adds hepatitis B, and says shigella and hepatitis A can pass on when handling condoms or sex toys used for anal sex, or touching someone's anus, gets tiny amounts of poo onto fingers and into mouths.

A fresh condom on the toy, washing toys between people, washing your hands after sex and regular testing all lower the risk. Brook advises getting tested for STIs regularly and each time you have sex with a new partner, and the NHS says many STIs have no symptoms. THT lists hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV among the vaccines offered in sexual health clinics.

Is it normal to bleed after pegging?

A little bleeding after anal sex can happen, Brook says. If the blood is bright red and stops after a few minutes, it suggests there may be a minor injury that's healing. Seek medical advice if the bleeding doesn't stop, the blood is very dark, you're in a lot of pain or discomfort, or you're worried.

A small tear in the anus is called an anal fissure. The NHS lists its main symptoms as severe, sharp pain when you poo, burning pain afterwards that may last for several hours, and bright red blood in the toilet or on the toilet paper, and says to see a GP if the symptoms are getting worse or haven't improved after 7 days of treating it yourself.

When should you get help?

• Go to A&E or call 999 if you're bleeding non-stop from your bottom or there's a lot of blood, for example the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots.
• Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if your poo is black or dark red, or you have bloody diarrhoea.
• See a GP if you're in a lot of pain around your bottom, or you've had blood in your poo for 3 weeks.
• Go to a sexual health clinic if you think you may have an STI, a partner has symptoms of one, or you're worried after sex without a condom. The NHS says sexual health clinics are free and confidential, and you don't usually need a GP referral.

For the wider basics, see our anal sex safety guide, our page on prostate massage and rimming: the health risks and how to reduce them.