Do women enjoy anal sex with a man?

1. How common is it, and what do surveys say about pleasure?

Multiple nationally representative and large-sample studies place lifetime rates of penile-anal sex among women at roughly one‑third to around 36–40% depending on the survey, with about 11–13% reporting penile-anal sex in the past year in some studies ^{[1] [4] [2]}. When it comes to enjoyment, results vary by question and definition: one data compilation reports 41% of women overall found anal sex pleasurable, another meta-analysis found 28.4% described their first penile‑anal experience as pleasant and 62.3% continued afterward, and some large surveys report around 31–40% saying anal intercourse was enjoyable in specific samples ^{[3] [5] [6]}.

2. Pleasure is real — but context and technique matter

Peer‑reviewed work focused on how women extract pleasure from anal touch documents distinct techniques (anal surfacing, shallowing, pairing) that many women find pleasurable and emphasizes that pleasure often depends on targeted touch, communication, and partner skill rather than simple in‑and‑out penetration alone ^{[1] [7]}. Qualitative interviews show women sometimes report anal sex as emotionally intimate or reserved for special partners, and that pleasurable experiences often involve intentional technique, lubrication, and mutual consent ^{[8] [7]}.

3. Pain, coercion, and the limits on enjoyment

A large proportion of women report pain with anal intercourse, especially on first experience: one dataset found 81.7% reported their initial engagement as painful while only 18.3% said it was not painful; other surveys list pain, rushed initiation, and lack of lubrication as leading reasons for disliking anal sex ^[3]. Importantly, qualitative and public‑health research documents nonconsensual episodes and power imbalances that transform anal sex from a potentially pleasurable act into harm for some women, with economic disadvantage and partner coercion appearing in case series ^{[9] [10]}. These realities make clear that reported “enjoyment” in population figures does not capture coercion or context.

4. Orgasm and physical outcomes — mixed evidence

Some studies find that a minority of women experience orgasm in relation to anal intercourse: one source reports about 51.9% had experienced orgasm during anal intercourse in a specific study and 39% in their most recent encounter, while other work suggests men are more likely than women to achieve orgasm from receptive anal intercourse and that orgasm rates vary widely by technique and partner ^{[3] [4]}. Research also frames anal sex in public‑health terms because of higher STI risk when unprotected, and surveys note lower condom use for anal sex compared with vaginal sex, a factor that affects safety and long‑term outcomes ^{[11] [6]}.

5. Why women choose it — pleasure, intimacy, obligation

Motivations cover a spectrum: women report engaging in anal sex to seek physical pleasure, to enhance intimacy, to please partners, for relationship reasons, or because it was initiated without prior discussion; different motives predict different experiences of pleasure and safety, and many women who like anal sex nonetheless report a preference for vaginal sex overall ^{[8] [10]}. Studies explicitly caution that social dynamics — partner initiation, familiarity, expectations about masculinity and pleasure — shape whether anal sex is enjoyable or harmful ^{[9] [10]}.

6. Bottom line and limits of the evidence

The evidence supports a straightforward, qualified answer: some women do enjoy anal sex with a man, but enjoyment is conditional — it depends on consent, technique, communication, lubrication, partner behavior, and past experience — and a sizable share report pain, nonconsensual episodes, or prefer other sexual activities ^{[3] [1] [9]}. Available data are heterogeneous in sample, definitions, and when pleasure is measured; these studies illuminate patterns but cannot speak for individual preferences.