5 Best Rimming Sex Positions (Plus Safety Tips)

Rimming (analingus) means using your mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the outside of a partner's anus. The anus is packed with nerve endings, so for many people of any gender or orientation it's a surprisingly intense, intimate kind of pleasure. Below are five positions that make rimming comfortable for both the giver and the receiver, plus the hygiene and safety basics that let you relax and enjoy it.

Before You Start: Hygiene and Barriers

A quick shower with warm water and mild soap is enough. External play doesn't call for harsh douching, and scented products can irritate. Trimmed nails and fresh breath are a nice courtesy from whoever's giving.

Oral-anal contact can pass on gut bacteria and parasites (such as E. coli, Shigella and Giardia), hepatitis A, and STIs including herpes, HPV, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. To lower the risk:

• Use a dental dam, or a condom cut open into a flat sheet, as a barrier between mouth and skin. A little water-based lube on the receiver's side helps with sensation.
• Skip it if either of you has a cold sore, mouth ulcers, bleeding gums, flaring hemorrhoids, a stomach bug, or any new sore, bump, rash or discharge in the area. Get anything new checked before playing again.
• After rimming, wash your mouth and hands before touching a vulva or vagina, so bacteria don't travel there.
• Ask a clinician about hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV vaccines and about regular STI testing if anal play is part of your sex life.

1. Face-to-Face (On the Back)

The receiver lies on their back and draws their knees toward their chest, either holding behind the thighs or resting their feet on the giver's shoulders. The giver lies on their stomach between the receiver's legs. You can see each other's faces, which makes checking in easy.

Make it easier: put a firm pillow or wedge under the receiver's hips to tilt the pelvis up. If holding the legs gets tiring, let the knees fall open to the sides instead.

Skip it if: the receiver has hip or lower-back pain when their knees are pulled up, or is pregnant past the first trimester, when lying flat on the back for long can cause dizziness.

2. Rear-End (All Fours)

The receiver gets on hands and knees, doggy-style. The giver kneels or lies on their stomach behind them and can use their hands to gently part the buttocks. This angle gives the giver the clearest access and the most freedom to vary pressure and pace.

Make it easier: the receiver can lower their chest onto a pillow with hips raised, which takes weight off the wrists and arches the back naturally. On a hard surface, the giver can kneel on a folded towel or cushion to protect their knees.

Skip it if: the receiver has wrist, shoulder or knee problems that make kneeling painful. Try the flat version below instead.

3. Flat Doggy (Face Down)

The receiver lies flat on their stomach with one or two pillows under their hips and legs slightly apart. The giver lies between their legs. The receiver has nothing to hold up, which makes this ideal for longer, slower sessions or for first-timers who want to feel at ease.

Make it easier: if the giver's neck starts to ache, add another pillow under the receiver's hips, or have the receiver lie across the bed while the giver kneels on the floor.

Skip it if: the receiver is pregnant (lying on the belly gets uncomfortable fast) or has breast or chest tenderness.

4. Standing (Bent Over)

The receiver stands and bends forward from the hips, resting their hands or forearms on the bed, a sturdy table or a wall. The giver kneels behind them. It feels spontaneous and works well as a playful change of scene.

Make it easier: use only stable furniture that won't slide, roll or tip. The receiver can widen their stance or bend their knees slightly to bring their hips lower.

Skip it if: either of you has balance issues, back pain when bending, or knee problems. If the receiver feels lightheaded from bending over, sit down.

5. Sideways (Side-Lying)

The receiver lies on their side and pulls their top knee toward their chest. The giver lies behind and slightly below them, with their head level with the receiver's hips. Both partners can rest fully here.

Make it easier: put a pillow between the receiver's knees or under the top leg, and let the giver rest their head on the receiver's thigh or a cushion.

Good choice for: pregnancy (lying on the left side is often the most comfortable later on), back pain, limited mobility or fatigue.

Communication, Consent and When to Stop

Talk about rimming outside the bedroom first. It's easier to ask "Is this something you'd want to try?" over coffee than in the middle of things. Agree on a simple way to say "slow down" or "stop," and check in during play: "softer or firmer?" goes a long way. Start with light kisses around the area and build up only if the receiver is clearly enjoying it.

Anyone can change their mind at any point, even halfway through, and that deserves a thank-you, not a sulk. Stop right away if anything hurts or if there's any bleeding. During pregnancy, rimming is usually fine with good hygiene, but check with your midwife or doctor if you have a complication.

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