The best scene in this week's episode of Broad City on Comedy Central hinges on a bedroom miscommunication. When Abbi finally finds herself in bed with her cute, bearded neighbor Jeremy, she suggests — as one does during sex — that they switch it up. Jeremy's eyes light up and he hurries to his dresser to retrieve...a bright green, custom-made, strap-on dildo. Oh, you meant switch positions, he realizes with embarrassment when Abbi freezes in shock. But, Abbi's game — and for the first time, she tries pegging.
Pegging, for the uninitiated, is the sexual practice in which a woman penetrates a man's anus with a strap-on dildo. The term "officially" entered the lexicon in 2001, when it won a contest Dan Savage hosted to name the act. Maybe you love pegging, maybe it doesn't interest you at all, maybe you're not quite sure how you feel — but if it's something that you and your partner are curious to try, then by all means, go for it. We reached out to our friends at Good Vibrations and Babeland to glean a few tips for the novices among us. "We’ve been talking about and educating our customers on pegging since the 1980s," Good Vibrations' Product & Purchasing Manager Coyote Days tells us, "though it wasn’t until the 1990s and early 2000s that the notion of male anal pleasure began to show up in the media (remember the scene in The Sopranos when Janice Soprano pegs her lover Ralph Cifaretto?)." Pegging, Days says, "is linked to stimulation of the prostate, [which] can be incredibly pleasurable for many men."
Pleasure aside, unfortunately there's still a stigma attached to heterosexual men enjoying prostate stimulation (we look forward to a future in which nerve endings aren't subject to homophobic judgment). That's why Days stresses the importance of communication between partners before the dildo even comes out of the drawer. "Talk about what experiences each person has had previously with anal penetration, pegging, or prostate stimulation — then start from there," she suggests. "We recommend starting anal exploration with fingers and moving to a slender toy like the Charm 1... The toy shown on Broad City is definitely not a starter dildo!"
Other key elements to a pleasurable experience: lube, as the anus doesn't self-lubricate, and a slow start. "Your partner is in charge when they’re on the receiving end, and your job is to give them pleasure," explains Claire Cavanah, Babeland's co-founder. "This will happen when you take it slow and let them set the pace. Lube is essential — choose a water-based formula if you’re using a silicone dildo. Lube up both the dildo and your partner’s butt."
Pegging don'ts: "Do not rush. Do not use a desensitizer. This is a great time to take it slow and enjoy the sensations!" Days says. "Pegging feels great and can be a pleasurable experience for both people involved, as long as there is plenty of communication (and lube)." And, in the words of Abbi's best friend Ilana, if your partner is into it, don't be afraid to "plow it like a queen."
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