The Good, the Bad, and the Messy of Enema Play
If you Google "enema play," you will form — along with a handful of articles that treat enema fetishes (the scientific name is klismaphilia) as a mental illness or "condition." This is not one of those articles.
What is an enema?
An enema involves slowly inserting liquid into the rectum, or the lower part of the large intestine. An enema kit includes a bag or some type of container attached to a tube, with a small nozzle at the end of the tube that is inserted into the anus.
Opinions vary on what liquid is safest to use in an enema, or whether or not enemas, in general, are safe at all — more on that later — but the most common liquids are saline and water.
What is enema play?
It is any sexual activity involving enemas and is generally considered a fetish. Kinks and fetishes are healthy and normal, and there's a fetish for everything under the sun (including the sun — actirasty is arousal from being in the sun). When they're done consensually and safely, kinks and fetishes pose little risk of injury. Injury risk can never be totally eliminated — fetishes like fisting always pose some risk of injury, no matter how safely two skilled fist pigs play, and anyone in BDSM can unintentionally strike too hard or even just slip on some lube. No form of penetrative sex is completely risk-free for sexually transmitted infection. Enema play has relatively the same injury potential as other kinks, and like other kinks, these risks are minimized by playing safely and consensually, with proper tools and good communication.
The history behind enema play
"Enema play" as a kinky practice is relatively new, but enemas are ancient. Most major civilizations since the ancient Egyptians have used enemas for various purposes. Throughout history, enemas have been viewed as treatments for constipation, depression, dehydration, and more. The earliest known medical text in history, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, mentions procedures that are similar to modern enemas. Enemas were used in ancient Sumeria, Babylonia, India, Greece, and China. Native Americans invented their own version of the enema using a syringe made of an animal bladder and a hollow leg bone.
Thankfully, enemas have gotten better since the ancients. Today, many people do colonics — colon cleanses — which are similar to enemas. Both are believed to cleanse the body of toxins, though most claims like this, along with all past beliefs about the medicinal benefits of enemas, are largely now considered non-scientific (the body does a naturally good job eliminating most toxins on its own). The difference between enemas and colonics is that enemas involve a one-time infusion of water into the colon and colonics involve multiple infusions, and a colonic must be administered by a professional while an enema can be done at home.
So, what is douching?
Douching is not the same as using an enema. Many folks douche before having receptive anal sex (though douching is certainly not required to have great backdoor fun). Douches are different from enemas in the fact that douches are usually smaller and don't push water as deep — though some people use shower attachments and hoses to clean deeper. Most douches use a bulb or a showerhead and push water into the colon with pressure; enemas instead use a bag of water hanging above the body and let gravity naturally, slowly push the water up into the colon. For this reason, clearing the bowels with an enema often takes much longer than it does with a douche.
If you're curious about trying it out, remember that there's no one single way to do enema play. So feel free to explore! Some enema fetishists get turned on by the feeling of having a belly full of liquid. Others prefer the insertion aspect or the release of the water. Some folks with prostates claim that using an enema stimulates the prostate gland.
Just as with anal sex, you are not required to clean out with a douche before using an enema, though if you don't, the water you expel will likely not be clear. There is some overlap between enema play and scat fetish (coprophilia — fetish for poop), and while you don't have to be into scat to be into enemas, you should be aware that playing with enemas will invariably lead to an encounter with poop if you do it often enough, and that fact doesn't keep millions of people across the world from enjoying butt stuff.
ANSWERED: What can I eat before anal sex?
If you're only using enemas to minimize the chance of mess during anal sex (in other words, as a douche) use a standard bulb kit, follow the instructions, and just use it normally, somewhere private that feels comfortable. Most standard enema kits instruct you to lie down on your side at some point, which gives you a deep cleansing. Enema fetish play usually differs here, as you don't have to clean as deep or stay in this position when you play — you may get on your hands and knees (head bent down) while your partner administers the enema and some folks like receiving enemas while lying on their backs.
Enema play and BDSM
Enema play goes great with other types of kink play: medical fetish, scat fetish, domination, control, humiliation — all these scenes can involve fun enema play. If you're a top or dominant playmate, you need to make sure the person receiving an enema is safe at all times. This means using safe liquid solutions, not using too much liquid, making sure liquid is at the right temperature, making sure the flow of water is slow, and paying close attention to your sub for signs of pain or discomfort. Some enema play tops like to fill up their subs, then instruct them to push the water out. I know more than a few piggy tops who like their submissives to expel the water straight into their mouths.
If there is any pain, you should stop play, and the person receiving the enema should try to empty their bowels into a toilet. If the pain is severe, you should go to the closest Emergency Room.
RELATED: How to get started with pee play AKA golden showers!
Kinky enema play can involve lots of other fetish gear. You'll likely find folks in the rubber fetish scene are into enema play. Other medical gear (uniforms, medical chairs that spread the legs, masks, various instruments on a stainless steel tray, or a room that feels like a hospital) can enhance the scene. Medical fetish tops usually make their subs assume pleasurable or humiliating positions and might administer an enema as part of that scene. You can also add some bondage, but make sure your sub can get out of them easily in case of emergencies.
The final word on enema play
As with any kink or fetish, when you're new and exploring it, it's best to go slow. Start small. Use less liquid and never use homemade recipes unless they are recommended by a doctor. On kink and fetish websites like FetLife (for straight folks) and smartphone apps like Recon (for gay men) you can find other kinky people that are into medical fetish and enema play.
The kink and fetish community is, and will always be, your best resource — kinksters (kinky people) keep each other safe by sharing information and techniques. Whenever there's something wild I want to try, I start asking around in my little corner of the kink world — my playmates and lovers — and they have never let me down.
Ready to try enema play? Keep an adventurous, open mind while you get filled and flooded.
p.s. If you're looking for enemas to get you started, simply type the word into the search on our website or head on over to our Sensual Care section!
