Being a man of color ( p<0.05) HIV-positive ( p<0.001) diagnosed with an STI ( p<0.01) identifying as “versatile” in sex ( p<0.001) and having more than two unprotected sex partners ( p<0.001) were significantly associated with recent enema use.
Most participants (65%) used water to douche, 24% added salt, soap, and/or antibacterial products to water, and 30% reported using commercially-available products. While most (88%) reported enema use before receptive anal sex, 28% douched after receptive anal sex. Most (52%) participants reported having douched at least once and 35% reported douching within the last three months. Through online surveys, we examined personal, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with enema use.
We examined the frequency of enema use, type of products used, and reasons to use and not to use before and after receptive anal sex in a large sample of MSM (N=4992) recruited from sixteen US cities. However, few studies have explored enema use practices.
Enema use or douching is a risk factor for HIV/STI in men who have sex with men (MSM).
