Hemorrhoids and Sex

Sure, you’ve taken a sexual education course here and there, but how much do you know about hemorrhoids and sex?  First—how much do you know about hemorrhoids?

You probably don’t know a whole lot and might even think that hemorrhoids are something that your older parents or even grandparents complain about.  While it’s true that hemorrhoids become more common for people hovering around the age of 50, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get them!

Don’t worry, hemorrhoids aren’t that big of a deal and can even be subsided by eating fiber, staying healthy through exercise, and drinking plenty of water, especially while you’re young.

There are some things you should know about hemorrhoids and sex, like when to have sex if you’ve got a hemorrhoid flare-up and how sex can affect your hemorrhoids. 

Everyone is different, and when it comes to hemorrhoids and sex, this is no exception.  The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to take it easy on yourself if you’ve got any type of hemorrhoid and allow your body time to heal.

Find out what works best for you and stick with it, but in the meantime, reading up on the relationship between hemorrhoids and sex will help bridge the gap of understanding how the two affect one another.

Are Hemorrhoids Sexually Transmitted?

You’ll be glad to know that there’s one less thing to worry about as far as sexually transmitted diseases are concerned—that’s right, hemorrhoids are not sexually transmitted nor are they contagious.

Essentially, hemorrhoids are your body’s response to a factor that’s constricting the blood flow to your lower rectal veins.

A few of these factors can include:

• Being pregnant
• Being overweight
• Sitting for long periods of time
• Straining on the toilet from constipation or chronic diarrhea
• Frequently lifting heavy objects

As you can imagine, all of these actions or states can place an enormous amount of stress and pressure on your lower rectal veins.  Your rectal veins will respond by becoming inflamed, and when this happens, you develop hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids will come and go.  For some people, flare-ups are a frequently experienced thing, and for others, a hemorrhoid flare-up only happens once in a blue moon.

For many people, the symptoms are all the same:

• Itching on the anus, rectal burning sensations
• Throbbing and aching of painful lumps near the anus
• Rectal bleeding of bright red blood
• Anal discharge

Many of these symptoms occur with external hemorrhoids.  With internal hemorrhoids, sufferers tend only to see rectal bleeding.

Can Hemorrhoids Affect Your Sex Life?

As you’ve just read, hemorrhoids aren’t sexually transmitted, but they certainly don’t seem like a whole lot of fun.   The symptoms of pain, discomfort, anal itch, burning, throbbing, and rectal bleeding are enough to affect anyone’s sex life.

That’s why it’s important to know how to address hemorrhoid flare-ups when they occur—and even prevent them in the first place—so you can enjoy your sex life without hemorrhoids getting in the way.

Sure, some people are more prone to developing hemorrhoids because it runs in their family history, but by a dietary and lifestyle adjustment, even they can keep flare-ups at a minimum.

Here’s how to stop hemorrhoid flare-ups from affecting your sex life:

• Eat more fiber
• Take a hemorrhoid supplement
• Drink plenty of water
• Exercise
• Maintain a healthy weight

Most importantly, if hemorrhoids have become a persisting problem that frequently gets in the way of your sex life, you should make an appointment with your doctor to see what else you can do to prevent them.

Hemorrhoids produce painful symptoms like itching, burning, and discomfort.  They can make your anorectal area extra sensitive and even swollen.  Symptoms can be managed with over the counter hemorrhoid medications like creams, ointments, medicated wipes, suppositories, and other hemorrhoid solutions.

Does Sex Cause Hemorrhoids?

In some cases, anal or vaginal intercourse can cause hemorrhoids. 

During intercourse, the genitals and rectal area are engulfed with blood needed for stimulation, and this can increase pressure to the affected area, resulting in the development of a hemorrhoidal flare-up.

If you experience rectal pain or discomfort after intercourse, it could be a hemorrhoid flare-up.  Look out for the common hemorrhoid symptoms over the next day or so to determine if this is the case.

If you have existing hemorrhoids, try to not engage in sex, especially anal sex, as you could aggravate them and worsen your symptoms.  Allow your body a few days to heal from the flare-up before having sex.

And if hemorrhoids are a reoccurring problem for you and interfere with your sex life, then you should talk to your doctor about a prevention plan for your hemorrhoids.

Try getting more exercise, like a brisk 20-minute walk, staying hydrated throughout the day, and eating whole foods with plenty of fiber.  If conservative approaches have failed, then there are other options like non-operative procedures like sclerotherapy and rubber band ligation.

Is it Safe to Have Sex with Hemorrhoids?

You can have sex with hemorrhoids, yes, but keep in mind that by doing so, you could be aggravating them.  You won’t pass your hemorrhoids onto your partner—they aren’t contagious or sexually transmitted. 

There is a possibility that your hemorrhoid symptoms could worsen with sexual intercourse during a flare-up.  You could encourage the hemorrhoids to hang around longer if you choose to have sex while you have them.

However, everyone is different.  Vaginal intercourse may be just fine for you and your partner, although anal sex is not advisable, as it will undoubtedly make your hemorrhoids worse.

Use over the counter treatments to your advantage if you plan on having sexual intercourse while you are experiencing a hemorrhoid flare-up.  Things like topical ointments and hemorrhoid supplements can manage your symptoms, preventing them from worsening from sex.

But if you find that having sex leads to flare-ups, you'll want to make an appointment with your doctor to see what you can do to treat better and prevent your hemorrhoids.  You don't have to let your hemorrhoids affect your sex life, and there are plenty of treatment options available to you.