Editing Butt plug

{{short description|Sex toy that is designed to be inserted into the rectum}}
{{distinguish|Anal plug|Rectal dilator}}
[[File:Three buttplugs.jpg|thumb|Different types of butt plugs]]
A '''butt plug''' is a [[sex toy]] that is designed to be inserted into the [[rectum]] for [[sexual pleasure]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Tristan|last=Taormino|author-link=Tristan Taormino|year=1997|title=The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women|publisher=[[Cleis Press]]|isbn=978-1-57344-028-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ultimateguidetoa00taorrich}}</ref> They often have a flanged end to prevent the device from being lost inside the rectum.<ref>{{cite book|title=Anal Pleasure & Health: A Guide for Men and Women|author=Jack Morin|year=2000|publisher=[[Down There Press]]|isbn=978-0-940208-20-9|page=96}}</ref>

==History==
[[Rectal dilator]]s were originally designed for therapeutic uses and later marketed with terms such as [[Dr. Young's Ideal Rectal Dilators]], which were marketed as a cure for insanity and [[constipation]].<ref>{{cite web | author=Robert Kravetz [[M.D.|MD]] | url=http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v96/n9/full/ajg2001680a.html | title=A Look Back - Rectal Dilators | series=[[The American Journal of Gastroenterology]] (2001) 96, 2768 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922144458/http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v96/n9/full/ajg2001680a.html | archive-date=September 22, 2016 | date=2001 | publisher=[[Nature Publishing Group]] | url-status=dead}}</ref> In the late 20th century, similar devices started to be marketed as sex toys.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jensen|first=K. Thor|date=2017-02-22|title=The Dark, Twisted History Of The Butt Plug|url=https://medium.com/dose/the-dark-twisted-history-of-the-butt-plug-e24193debc97|access-date=2021-02-16|website=Medium|language=en|archive-date=2021-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605112457/https://medium.com/dose/the-dark-twisted-history-of-the-butt-plug-e24193debc97|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Basics==
Unlike the [[vagina]], which is closed off by the [[cervix]], the rectum leads to the [[sigmoid colon]]. Objects that are inserted into the rectum can therefore potentially travel up into the [[bowel]]; the flared end on a butt plug exists to prevent this. Some dildos lack a flared end, and thus it is not advised to use such dildos anally since they may get stuck; [[rectal foreign body|rectal foreign bodies]] may require medical extraction.

In addition, the lower [[bowel]] above the rectum is easily [[Gastrointestinal perforation|perforated]]. For this reason, butt plugs tend to be shorter than dildos, and their marked size generally indicates the circumference of the device rather than the length. They must also be very smooth to avoid damaging the rectum or bowel. In order to get them into the rectum, they most commonly have a general profile of a round-ended cone which then narrows to a "waist" which locates itself at the anal sphincter, with the flared part outside the body, preventing the butt plug from slipping further into the body. The sphincter muscle will hold the plug in place by the waist, preventing the plug from slipping out unintentionally.

Butt plugs can be moved in or out for pleasure, so as to simulate the rhythmic thrusting of [[Sexual penetration|penetrative sex]], although some butt plugs are specifically designed for [[Prostate massage|stimulation of the prostate]].

As with other activities involving anal penetration, such as [[anal sex]], large amounts of [[sexual lubricant]] and a slow gentle approach are needed to insert or remove a butt plug.<ref>{{cite book|author=Morin, Jack|title=Anal Pleasure and Health|edition=3rd|publisher=Down There Press|year=1998|isbn=978-0-940208-20-9}}</ref>

Butt plugs are sometimes covered by [[condom]]s for hygiene and to allow for the easy disposal of any [[Human feces|feces]] with which they may come into contact.<ref>{{cite book|title=The First Year: Hepatitis C An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed|year=2009|publisher=[[Hachette Books]]|isbn=9780786732661|author1= Bruce,Cara|author2=Montanarelli, Lisa}}</ref> Nevertheless, they should not be shared with other people, due to the risk of transmitting [[Sexually transmitted infection|sexually transmitted infections]], including [[HIV]], from the transfer of body fluids from one person to another.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Is It Safe To Share Sex Toys?|url=https://www.lehmiller.com/blog/2014/4/28/is-it-safe-to-share-sex-toys|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Sex And Psychology|date=28 April 2014|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Designs==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2025}}
Butt plugs come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. Some are designed to look like [[Human penis|penises]], while some are ribbed or wavy. Many have a thin tip which is wider in the middle, a notch to hold it in place once it is inserted, and a flared base to prevent complete insertion into the rectum. Some plugs have an egg-shaped penetrative part. Some plugs are designed (long, flexible and curved) to penetrate the [[sigmoid colon]].

Butt plugs are made of a variety of materials, the most common being [[latex]]. Other materials used include [[silicone]], [[neoprene]], [[wood]], [[metal]], [[glass]], [[Rock (geology)|stone]], and many other materials. Silicone is a particularly good material, as it can be [[disinfected]] in boiling water.

==Risks==
{{see also|Prostate massage#Risks}}

Sex toys that are used in the [[Human anus|anus]] can easily get lost as rectal muscles contract and can suck an object up and up, potentially obstructing the colon; to prevent this from occurring, it is recommended that individuals use sex toys with a flared base or a string.<ref>{{cite web |author=Regina Nuzzo |author-link=Regina Nuzzo |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/good-vibrations-us-consumer-web-site-aims-to-enhance-sex-toy-safety/ |title=Good Vibrations: U.S. Consumer Web Site Aims to Enhance Sex Toy Safety |publisher=Scientific American |date=2011-05-24 |access-date=2017-07-25 |archive-date=2014-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304073633/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/good-vibrations-us-consumer-web-site-aims-to-enhance-sex-toy-safety/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the flared flange is not a foolproof method of preventing the plug from entering the rectum completely with the inability to retrieve it. This is uncomfortable and may require medical intervention. Butt plugs of excess diameter can, especially when inserted too rapidly and/or too forcefully, lead to sphincter tear, detachment or other rectal failure. [[Kegel exercise]]s can help maintain normal, healthy sphincter function. When inserting a butt plug, one should be gentle, use plenty of lubrication, start with smaller sizes, and exercise patience. While medical data is sparse, some recommend not leaving a butt plug inserted for longer than two to three hours, though anecdotal evidence dictates some users wear their plugs for even longer; some committed practitioners only remove them so as to be able to [[bowel movement|pass stool]].<ref>[http://thehealthybear.com/butt-plug-guide/ Butt Plug Safety Guide] Retrieved October 19, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web | quote=There are no good research studies that evaluate the short or long-term effects of using butt plugs... short-term use probably is not much different than bowel movements, anal sex, or medical procedures. Long-term use, however, probably is. | author=Mark P. Behar, [[PA-C]] | publisher=[[Shepherd Express]] | title=More on Wearing Anal Plugs Long Term | url=http://shepherdexpress.com/article-permalink-12522.html | date=October 14, 2010 | access-date=July 1, 2015 | archive-date=July 1, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701184509/http://shepherdexpress.com/article-permalink-12522.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

== In culture ==
[[File:Rotterdam_kunstwerk_Santa_Claus.jpg|thumb|upright|''Santa Claus'' on the Eendrachtsplein, Rotterdam]]
The sculpture named ''[[Santa Claus (sculpture)|Santa Claus]]'' or the ''Buttplug Gnome'' was erected in [[Rotterdam]] by [[Paul McCarthy]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zebracki|first=Martin|date=2012-11-01|title=Engaging geographies of public art: indwellers, the 'Butt Plug Gnome' and their locale|journal=Social & Cultural Geography|volume=13|issue=7|pages=735–758|doi=10.1080/14649365.2012.723735|s2cid=146520018 |issn=1464-9365}}</ref> The same artist's 2014 sculpture ''[[Tree (installation)|Tree]]'' was also deliberately jokingly designed to look like a butt plug.

==See also==
{{Portal|Human sexuality}}
*[[Anal beads]]
*[[Anal masturbation]]
*[[Rectal foreign body]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading ==
* {{cite book | last = Taormino | first = Tristan |title=The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, 2nd Edition|publisher= [[Cleis Press]]|year= 2006|isbn=9781573442213}}
* {{cite book | last = Morin PhD | first = Jack |title=Anal Pleasure and Health: A Guide for Men, Women and Couples|publisher= [[Down There Press]]|year= 2010|isbn=978-0940208209}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Butt plugs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butt plug}}
[[Category:Anal sex toys]]