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Review
. 2018 Apr;22(4):1288-1294.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-017-1959-3.

Rectal Douching Associated with Receptive Anal Intercourse: A Literature Review

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Review

Rectal Douching Associated with Receptive Anal Intercourse: A Literature Review

Alex Carballo-Diéguez et al. AIDS Behav. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

To inform the development of HIV-prevention rectal douches, we reviewed the scientific literature and online instructional videos on rectal douching associated with receptive anal intercourse (RAI). Up to 88% of men who practice RAI ever have douched, while 43-64% have douched recently. Of them, 87-97% douche before RAI and 13-48% afterwards. Water, occasionally mixed with soap or salt, is used most often, although up to 31% of men use commercial products. Douching is more common among individuals reporting substance use, sexually transmitted infections, or being HIV-infected. Scant literature is available on women's rectal douching practices, but it is apparently less frequent than among men (32 vs. 70%). Videos advise using 2-3 doses of liquid and retaining it for 10-30 s before expelling. These findings can inform the development of a safe and acceptable rectal douche for HIV prevention.

Keywords: Enema; HIV prevention; Men who have sex with men; Microbicides; Rectal douche.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Literature Review Flowchart

References

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    1. Noor SW, Simon Rosser BR. Enema use among men who have sex with men: A behavioral epidemiologic study with implications for HIV/STI prevention. Arch Sex Behav. 2014;43(4):755–69. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Galea JT, Kinsler JJ, McLean S, Calvo G, Sánchez H, Leon SR, et al. Rectal Douching Prevalence and Practices Among Peruvian Men Who have Sex with Men and Transwomen: Implications for Rectal Microbicides. AIDS Behav. 2016;20(11):2555–64. - PubMed
    1. Schilder AJ, Orchard TR, Buchner CS, Strathdee SA, Hogg RS. Insert Discourse: Rectal Douching Among Young HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men in Vancouver, Canada. Sex Cult. 2010;14(4):327–43.
    1. How to give yourself an enema/douche/clean inside your butt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugCpKJvkVQ.

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