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HWN Suggests

13 Fundamental Facts About the Anus

The anus might be the most underappreciated part of the body. Its very mention generally causes people to giggle or cringe. Yet without it, you'd be unable to eliminate waste and eventually die. In case your childhood wasn't enough to give you an accurate idea of its location, the anus is essentially the valve that stands between your poop and the toilet. It's considered the last piece of your digestive tract, essentially a two-inch long canal comprised of pelvic floor muscles and sphincters, easy to locate below either your vagina or your scrotum.

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Articles of Interest

Anus & perianal area

Boundaries are proximal and distal margins of internal sphincter muscle and includes part of rectum.

Behind the Behind: the Anatomy of your Butt

Between your cheeks lies an orifice for the taking. And those lucky enough to understand its anatomy are able to truly open up—pun intended.

Reading from Behind: A Cultural Analysis of the Anus review – getting to the bottom of ‘anal theory’

It might be shortlisted for the oddest title of the year award, but Jonathan Allen’s book is a serious work of theory, exploring the backside as a site of humiliation and disgust.

The Body’s Most Embarrassing Organ Is an Evolutionary Marvel

And yet we have very little idea where anuses come from.

The History of Butt Wiping: What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper?

For nearly all of history, humans from all periods of time have wiped using the “closest smooth-ish object” method (i.e., identify the closest object that is relatively smooth and wipe). The Romans, Victorians, and even cowboys have had their fair share of using obscure tools to wipe. It was not until the recent introduction of toilet paper in the United States that we witnessed the widespread adoption of a product manufactured specifically for wiping the backside.