Anal sex is nothing new, and neither is the concept of the anal only lifestyle. There are multiple examples throughout history of civilizations which frequently and openly practiced anal sex as a regular and equal part of their sex lives, in many cases using it as a form of birth control, engaging in anal sex for their day-to-day pleasure and intimacy and only having vaginal sex to get pregnant.

The Moche Culture

A Moche sex pot depicting anal sex

The Moche people lived in northern Peru between approximately 100 to 700 CE. They left behind extensive ceramic pots with intricately carved scenes, many of which are sexual in nature, and which almost exclusively depict anal sex, with vaginal virtually non-existent in depictions.

Many theories have been developed to try and explain this as some sort of symbolism, or various belief systems, but far more likely is that their culture simply recognized that anal could provide pleasure and intimacy without the often unwanted and negative effects of vaginal sex, and used it as a form of birth control—or simply preferred anal pleasure for its countless benefits beyond the inability to get pregnant from it.

Other scholars believe the absence of vaginal sex in the pottery could also be indicative of another form of gender equality that gives women the same right to physical pleasure as men. By portraying women as in control of their own bodies, with their own sexual agency, the erotic ceramics might cast them as more than just future child-bearers whose value relies on their virginity. Object of Intrigue: Moche Sex Pots, Atlas Obscura

Continue reading about the Moche Culture:

Ancient Sumeria

Records show that anal was considered to be a normal and non-taboo part of sex in ancient Sumeria, and there are frequent references to it. In addition, certain priestesses were forbidden to produce offspring and so adopted an anal only lifestyle in order to ensure they did not become pregnant.

Ancient Greece

In addition to the more commonly known homosexual activities in Ancient Greece, Greek courtesans (and likely many others) frequently went anal only as a form of birth control.

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