The Rise of Pegging
By Dr. Justin
Sex Tips
Pegging is a form of penetrative sex that is most commonly characterized by a woman anally penetrating her male partner with a strap-on dildo. While the term itself is relatively new, having only been coined in the late 1990s, the practice of pegging certainly is not. In fact, pornographic pegging scenes date back to the 1970s, and literary depictions trace back even further. Flash forward to today, and pegging is having a cultural moment. It has been a growing topic of conversation in the popular media in the last decade or so, where it has penetrated the small screen (in shows like Broad City) and big screen (in films like Deadpool) alike. So, how common is pegging IRL? Why do so many people seem to be drawn to it? And what do you need to know if you’re thinking about giving it a try? Let’s explore what the research says.
How Many People Are Into Pegging?
Finding reliable statistics on how many people have ever explored pegging is a rather tall order. This isn’t something that has been specifically asked about on most of the major national and international sex surveys, which typically only include generic questions about anal sex that don’t really get into the nuances of how people are doing it. However, in a recent survey of 880 sexually active Americans focusing on anal sex practices, approximately 1 in 10 heterosexual adults (10.4% to be exact) reported having tried it before. Among LGBTQ+ Americans, the number was substantially higher, with bisexual folks in particular being the most experienced (31.4% had tried it). Incidentally, this survey also revealed that Millennials were the generation most likely to have tried pegging, but they were also the most experienced with anal sex practices in general. While these numbers suggest that pegging is not a particularly common sexual practice among adults (especially when compared to how many people have engaged in things like oral sex, mutual masturbation, and vaginal intercourse), it is something that a much larger number of people seem to be curious about. For example, in the survey of more than 4,175 Americans’ sexual fantasies that I conducted for my book Tell Me What You Want, I found that approximately 60% of the men who participated had fantasized about receiving anal sex before. Likewise, nearly 40% of female respondents had fantasized about giving anal sex to their partner. Considering that the vast majority of folks who took part in this survey identified as heterosexual, this suggests that pegging seems to be arousing to a sizable number of straight men and women alike (although, of course, persons of any sex, gender, or sexuality might be into it).
What is the Appeal of Pegging?
As with any sexual activity, people may be drawn to it for very different reasons. But there seems to be a mix of biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors at play. On the biological side, when men are anally penetrated, this can provide stimulation to the prostate gland. Prostate stimulation is something that many men find to be pleasurable. Likewise, some men can orgasm from prostate stimulation alone, while others report that prostate stimulation in conjunction with penile stimulation yields a more intense or powerful orgasm. It is for this reason that the prostate gland is sometimes referred to as the “P-Spot,” or the equivalent of the G-Spot for someone with a penis.
On the psychological side, pegging is something that taps into a few near-universal themes that underlie our sexual fantasies and desires in general: the need for novelty and the appeal of the taboo. With pegging being something that most people haven’t tried, it represents a novelty to most, and human beings are titillated by trying new things in the bedroom. We tend to grow bored of sexual routines and doing the same things over and over, so trying new things is one easy way to mix things up and boost arousal. But it’s not just that it’s a new thing for most—it’s also something we’re not “supposed” to do. Many of us grew up learning that any kind of anal sex is “immoral” or “dirty.” Many of us also learned that putting something up a guy’s butt is one of the most emasculating things that can happen to him—and, if he happens to like it, he can’t possibly be straight either. Whenever we’re told that we can’t or shouldn’t do something (sexually or otherwise), it has a way of making us want to do it even more. Taboos are tantalizing, and they stoke a lot of curiosity.
Finally, on the socio-cultural side, we need to look at traditional sexual scripts and power dynamics, in which men are dominant while women are submissive, and men are the penetrators while women get penetrated. Pegging is a subversive activity that flips this script on its head by literally putting men and women in different positions where they can explore completely new dynamics of connection, power, and pleasure.
Curious About Pegging? Here’s What You Need to Know
If you’re one of the many people who are curious about pegging but have never explored it before, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, don’t look at porn as a how-to guide. Porn has a way of making everything look easy, but you have to remember that porn is made primarily for entertainment, not education. There are lots of things you won’t see in porn that are essential to cultivating positive and pleasurable experiences for all. This includes discussing and negotiating boundaries beforehand, which may include establishing a “safeword” in case the sensations get too intense or things move past someone’s comfort zone. It also usually includes an extensive clean-up and warm-up period. Prior to being anally penetrated, many people will take steps to reduce the risk of “accidents,” such as by bathing, douching, or consuming a high-fiber diet. They will often proceed to penetration slowly, such as by engaging in deep breathing, relaxation exercises, and/or using dilators. Avoid rapid penetration immediately followed by fast and deep thrusting, which can be uncomfortable and painful and can potentially lead to injuries like anal tears or fissures. And then, of course, there’s the lube. Use All! The! Lube! Apply and re-apply inside and out to ease penetration and make for a comfortable experience. Consider a lubricant that is long-lasting and designed to provide some extra slickness, such as Astroglide X Silicone Liquid. Finally, keep in mind that it might take some practice to get things just right. You’re going to be putting your bodies in different positions and probably making different movements than you usually do, so it can take some practice to get used to all of it and figure out what works. For more tips and resources, check out a guidebook written by one of the experts, such as The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure by Dr. Charlie Glickman.
Takeaways
Pegging is a popular sexual fantasy, and a growing number of adults appear to be making the leap from fantasy to reality. The appeal of pegging has its roots in providing stimulation of the prostate gland, feeding into our desire for exploring sexual novelties and taboos, and offering a unique avenue for challenging traditional gender roles, power dynamics, and sexual scripts. In the limited research that exists on how people who have engaged in pegging feel about the experience, the results point to largely positive experiences, featuring reports of increased intimacy and connection, heightened pleasure and sensation, and mutual enjoyment. However, just keep in mind that when exploring any new sexual fantasy, there can be a bit of a learning curve. Do your research, communicate, explore, and then communicate some more. Practice makes perfect!
References:
Williams, D. J., Coto, L., & Berkowitz, D. (2023). “It’s Absolutely Intense, and I Love It!” A Qualitative Investigation of “Pegging” as Leisure. Leisure Sciences, 1-15.
Coto, L. (2023). “Best Sex He’d Ever Had!”: A Qualitative Analysis of “Most Amazing” Pegging Experiences. The journal of the Center for Positive Sexuality, a 501c3 non-profit organization., 9(2), 15.
Faustino, M. J. (2021). Representations of heterosexual anal sex in Cosmopolitan magazine. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 23(8), 1050-1065.
Lehmiller, J. J. (2018). Tell me what you want. Da Capo Press.
Dr. Justin
ASTROGLIDE'S RESIDENT SEX RESEARCHER
Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He is author of the blog Sex and Psychology and the popular book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator and a prolific researcher with more than 50 published academic works, including The Psychology of Human Sexuality, a textbook used in college classrooms around the world.