The Beginner's Booty Call: Butt Plug and Bullet 101

If there’s one body part we all have in common, no matter the sexual orientation, it’s our butt. Oddly, it’s one area where we have created the most ridiculous myths around it. So much so anyone who thinks they want to try anal play goes through 7 stages of grief first.

Then, when you do reach the acceptance stage, you have to deal with a second round of myths around butt plugs and bullet vibrators. Apparently, you can have butt plugs stuck inside you! (Doesn’t happen, usually.) 

What Is a Butt Plug?

Butt plugs are exactly what you think they are. They are anal toys you use to fill up your butt. They stay in place once you insert them even as you move around, unless the movement’s too intense. 

The flared base of the butt plug also prevents it from getting stuck inside your butt. 

And so, people use butt plugs for three main reasons:

• To stimulate the nerve endings in the anus
• To prepare for anal sex
• To create the feeling of double penetration. 

People with prostates like it when the butt plug hits the gland, which leads to intense orgasms. 

It’s the same case for people with vaginas. The nerves are close to the vaginal G-spot, so you feel overstimulated even. 

If you want to feel like you’re being double penetrated during vaginal sex without using a dildo, this is one way to do it. 

David Ortmann, a sex therapist, confirms butt plugs help stretch the anus. 

So, if you’re planning on having penetrative anal sex, it’s one way to prepare for it. You get used to the feeling of having something in your butt. 

Some people wear anal plugs all day. Not even for sexual reasons. Simply because they love the sensation. 

Considering butt plugs were marketed as a medical device in 1893, people did go around wearing them.

Dr. Young introduced them as Rectal Dilators, a device meant to cure - you wouldn’t believe it- headaches and insanity.

Over the years, the claims got worse, claiming it cures anemia, nervousness, indigestion, piles, and so on. All his claims weren’t exactly off the mark either, like how it can cure constipation. FDA put an end to it in 1940.

Butt plugs got its current name after 1962. It’s when Beate Uhse opened the world’s first sex shop. She sold a variety of sex toys we are familiar with today, including butt plugs. 

Types of Butt Plugs by Materials

If the toy goes inside you, it should be nonporous. This means the material shouldn't soak up your body fluids inside it. Think metal, glass, or silicone.

Dr Timaree Schmit, who is also the host of the podcast DTF suggests going for silicone butt plugs over glass or metal. Silicone is bendable, which makes it easier to insert. 

Though, all toys promoted as silicone are not always silicone. Manufacturers take advantage of the soft texture of silicone and mix in other materials. 

Read the label thoroughly and do a flame test if necessary. If you can hold a lighter to the toy without the toy melting, it’s 100% silicone.

You can clean all three materials in hot water and soap. 

You should avoid anything body fluids can leak into, like latex or hard plastic. These are hotbeds of bacteria waiting to happen, even if you religiously clean it inside out. 

Latex is also a common cause of allergies for many people, so you’re better off avoiding it altogether. Plus, the general rule for any sex toy is - if it’s cheap, it’s not worth it. 

Types of Butt Plugs by Shape and Size

Butt plugs have the shape they do for a reason. They start with a narrow tip, a rounder middle, and a flared base. 

Butt plugs have to be flared. Any other shape and it can get lost inside your rectum. 

Usually, you would find two types of shapes for the base. A rectangle or T-bar base is more comfortable if you plan on wearing it for longer periods. But the T-bar ones can get in the way of vaginal sex. 

The round ones are more suitable for people with a vagina. But they do rub against your buttocks while you’re walking, which can be an unpleasant feeling. 

For the size itself, Dr. Ortmann recommends starting with the particularly small ones. If you think it’s too small, you won’t even feel anything, then it’s perfect.

Because your anus is small. 

These are usually the sizes you’ll find in the market:

5-7 cm You shouldn’t be thinking of anything bigger if this is your first time. 

7-10 cm:  Ideal if you’re ready to upgrade but don’t want to feel too full. 

10-15 cm or longer: It’s almost the size of a dildo at this point. You want to go for this one if you want to get the feeling of double penetration.