Anal Health Awareness, a clinician’s guide to cleanse, stretch, relaxation, and openness

Anal health awareness: cleanse, stretch, relaxation, openness

We rarely talk openly about anal health, yet it plays a vital role in comfort, confidence, and intimacy for all bodies. This area is universal, and while it carries stigma, it also deserves informed care and respect. As a psychologist and sex therapist, my goal is to help people approach this part of their health with curiosity instead of shame. Gentle, evidence-based practices like cleansing, stretching, relaxation, and openness can improve not only intimacy, but also everyday wellbeing. These are skills you can build gradually and return to throughout your life, not just during awareness months.

What follows is a framework for body-kind habits that support both physical health and psychological ease, tools that remain relevant any time of year.

1) Cleanse, protect skin health and support bowel rhythm

Why it matters, clinically. Healthy cleansing is about skin integrity, comfort, and confidence, not just preparation. In the shower, warm water and a gentle, fragrance-free external cleanser are usually enough. Avoid scrubbing and avoid soap inside the anal canal. If you choose an internal rinse, keep it simple, small bulb, lukewarm water, low volume, no additives, and give your body time to settle. Over-rinsing can irritate delicate tissue. fascrs.orgDermNet®
Bowel rhythm and posture. Healthy bowel rhythm is key for everyone. Do not hold in bowel movements. Support regularity with fiber, fluids, and unhurried bathroom time. When you go, breathe low and wide, belly expands, ribs and chest open, pelvis relaxes. A footstool can help align your body so release is easier. aptapelvichealth.org
Aftercare and compatibility. Pat dry, then moisturize the outer rim and nearby skin only. Choose organic, unscented options like shea butter or squalane. A small amount of coconut oil can be used externally; coconut oil contains lauric acid and related compounds that show antimicrobial activity in laboratory research. Do not pair oils with latex barriers, choose water-based or silicone-based lubricants when using latex. PubMedPMCCDC+1
Red-flag symptoms. If you notice new lumps, bumps, itching, bleeding, or pain, book with a clinician for an exam. Pruritus ani, the itchy anal rim often linked to irritation or over-cleansing, affects up to 5 percent of people, another reason to keep care gentle and balanced. DermNet®
Sources
ASCRS guidance on avoiding soap inside and gentle care, DermNet guidance on perianal hygiene and pruritus ani, APTA on proper toileting posture, CDC on condom and lubricant compatibility, peer-reviewed summaries on lauric acid and antimicrobial activity. fascrs.org, aptapelvichealth.org, CDCPubMed

2) Stretch, increase circulation and invite pelvic floor ease

Why it matters. Gentle mobility supports blood flow and helps the pelvic floor coordinate and release, which can reduce tension and improve comfort during intimacy. As August wraps up, anal health awareness is a reminder that this part of the body is universal, we all have it, and it carries the most shame and stigma around pleasure and exploration. From my clinical perspective, gentle stretching is a simple way to build comfort, increase circulation, and develop trust with your body.

Try this sequence. Take three slow breaths, relax your jaw, soften your belly, and notice the pelvic floor respond. Add cat-cow, hip circles, a slow forward fold, and glute squeezes with release. Use a mirror and a touch of lube for external exploration. Move slowly, notice pressure and temperature, and never rush. If you notice anything unusual like new lumps, bumps, itching, bleeding, or pain, make an appointment with a clinician.

Sources
Cleveland Clinic on pelvic health rehabilitation and diaphragmatic breathing for relaxation and coordination.

3) Relaxation, nervous system calm and receiving

Why it matters. Comfort and pleasure improve when the nervous system feels safe. I use a short ritual you can remember, breath, lube, language.
Breath, slow exhale, relax jaw and shoulders, soften the belly, allow the pelvic floor to release.
Lube, use more than you think, reapply often, let glide replace effort. If you use latex barriers, choose water-based or silicone-based lubricants. CDC
Language, use traffic-light check-ins, green means keep going, yellow means slow and adjust, red means stop and reset.

Warm touch at the lower back and hips signals safety to the body. Begin with stillness, then explore small circles around the outer rim, letting comfort lead the way. If sensation turns sharp or your body tenses, pause, breathe, and reorganize. Receiving is a skill every body can learn. It is not a test of tolerance. Pelvic health programs routinely include diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation to reduce guarding and improve coordination. Cleveland Clinic

Sources
Cleveland Clinic pelvic health rehabilitation, CDC on lubricant compatibility with latex. Cleveland ClinicCDC

4) Openness, language, consent, and prevention

Why it matters. Openness has two layers, clear communication and prevention. Move at the speed of trust. Name your boundaries, share curiosities, and try a yes, no, maybe list. Language can lower anxiety, some people like back play or booty play, others prefer rear exploration or anal play. Choose the words that help your body and mind feel at ease.

Safer-play checklist. Consent, clean hands, generous lube, flared bases for any plugs, stop with pain, then rest and water for aftercare.

HPV and prevention. As we enter September’s Sexual Health Month, remember that HPV causes over 90 percent of anal cancers. Vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26, and for some adults ages 27 through 45 based on shared clinical decision-making with a clinician. If you have questions, book a visit and get individualized guidance. CDC+1

Sources
CDC and NCI on HPV-attributable anal cancer and vaccine age ranges. CDC+1

Key takeaways

• Cleanse gently to protect the skin barrier, avoid soaps inside, keep internal rinses minimal if you choose them, and moisturize outside only. Match lubricants to barriers, oils weaken latex. fascrs.orgDermNet®CDC
• Stretch to invite pelvic floor ease and blood flow, use a mirror and a touch of lube for external exploration, and pause for any red-flag symptoms. Cleveland Clinic
• Relaxation shifts the body from guarding to receiving, breath plus lube plus clear language improves comfort and clarity. Cleveland Clinic
• Openness means consent, communication, and prevention, including HPV vaccination in the recommended age ranges. CDC
  

Dr. Chavez’s closing tip

Keep it simple and repeatable, cleanse kindly, stretch gently, breathe and lube generously, communicate clearly. If you change only one thing, adopt a small footstool for bowel posture and practice slow exhale before any exploration. Carry these habits into Sexual Health Month and celebrate World Sexual Health Day on September 4 with knowledge and care that lasts the whole year. aptapelvichealth.orgCleveland Clinicworldsexualhealthday.org

References & Further Reading

• World Sexual Health Day on September 4 and Sexual Health Month observance. worldsexualhealthday.orgashasexualhealth.org
• Perianal hygiene and pruritus ani management, including “avoid soap inside,” gentle cleansing, pat dry, and barrier protection, plus prevalence up to 5 percent. fascrs.orgDermNet®+1
• Pelvic floor rehabilitation and diaphragmatic breathing for relaxation and coordination. Cleveland Clinic+1
• Lubricant compatibility with latex and why oils weaken latex barriers. CDC+1
• Footstool posture for bowel movements to reduce strain and improve alignment. aptapelvichealth.org
• HPV and anal cancer burden and vaccination ages. CDC
• Coconut oil chemistry, lauric acid and monolaurin with antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies, framed as external-use skincare only. PubMedPMC