Douching Part 3

If you're new to douching be gentle, take your time and never rush. Follow these guidelines to ensure that you do the job as well as possible and keep the risk of complications or infection to a minimum.

First of all, decide where you're going to douche. The toilet is usually the best place but wherever you do it remember that pushing lumps of shit down a shower or bath plug-hole isn't much fun and can upset hotel staff, flatmates or your mother. Some people find it easier to shit naturally before douching but this not essential.

When you're ready to start, wash your hands thoroughly.

You may wish to lock the door (unless you want someone to watch).

Using lukewarm water will make douching easier and more comfortable. Let the water run through for a few seconds to make sure it is at the correct pressure and temperature. Make sure metal douche nozzles are warm. Using cold water is like throwing your arse into a freezer - the muscles clamp up and can send you into shock.

Smearing a little lubricant on the inside of the entrance of your arse and on the nozzle end will help it slip inside. (As you continue to douche you might need to re-lube).

Relax your sphincter muscles and gently slide the nozzle up the anal canal into the rectum. Without straining, close your sphincter muscles. As you feel your rectum filling with water, you'll feel the urge to shit. Without straining, take inside as much water as you can before relaxing your sphincter muscles to let out it out together with any shit. Repeat the process until you're flushing out clear water.

You will probably need to hold the nozzle in place with your hand while you're douching. When you let the water and shit out, your hand is very likely to come into direct contact with it. This may come as a bit of a shock to you but, however, unpleasant as it may seem, shit is nothing more than the remains of digested food. If you hurry your douche by perhaps thrusting the nozzle inside or banging it against a sphincter muscle, your arse will register the pain by tightening up or prematurely emptying out the water and shit. These spasms or cramps may mean you'll experience some discomfort but this is not so much dangerous as unpleasant. Your muscles usually settle down after a few minutes. When you've finished you may feel that there is some excess water caught inside. Depending on how much is there, the urge to shit it out sometimes goes away as the colon absorbs the water back into the body. Douching is never fool-proof. Sometimes you can clear yourself out and then find yourself wanting a shit an hour later. There will be other times when you'll remain clean longer than you anticipated. Practice and experience are your best guides. Irritation and infection Douching by itself can cause irritation as the water washes away friendly bacteria and the protective mucus lining. Rough or careless douching technique can bruise the wall of your arse, and breaks in the surface are more susceptible to infections which can be difficult and unpleasant to treat. Furthermore, if your arse is damaged, this can provide a route into the body for cum, blood, piss and shit, possibly infected with HIV and other STIs. You can minimise these risks with good technique, and by maintaining your douche equipment. Keeping equipment clean Ideally, clean your equipment before and after use. Flush it through with one part bleach to ten parts water (kitchen Flash with bleach is a good alternative). But remember, bleach or bleach derivatives can cause rubber to perish. Finally, rinse it thoroughly with water or the next time you douche you may flush bleach residues up your arse. Finally, make sure your douche is in good condition and check the equipment regularly for nicks or cracks which are havens for infections. Etiquette Make sure the area is clean when you or your friends have finished particularly if the bathroom/shower area is shared. If you've taken someone back, make sure they know where to douche, and what they should and shouldn't use by way of bathroom douche and shower utensils. (Remember the fluffy towels). Recreational drugs If you've taken drugs your ability to make judgements may be impaired. For example, you might injure yourself when inserting the douche and there have been horror stories of bathrooms resembling sewage farms. Better still, there's always the one about the guy who douched on acid and was inspired to paint the bathroom... the hallway... and the bedroom... a fragrant brown. This online advice guide is an extract from the book TOGETHER, by kind permission of Patriic Gayle and Gay Times Books. The book itself is over 300 pages long and contains:

several chapters more useful advice and information

more in-depth information in some chapters

more pictures and tables

further contacts at the end of each chapter

a comprehensive listing of gay and health organisations Described by Qx magazine as a 'Gay Bible', Together Book is a practical reference work no bookshelf should be without.

Available from Prowler Stores and all good bookshops, or click the link below for price and ordering details.

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