MYTH NO. 5: Anal Intercourse among MSM Promotes Rectal Prolapse and/or
Fissures
FACT: Rectal prolapse is an anal complication unrelated to anal sex. Anal
intercourse when conducted carefully and safely does not lead to anal fissures.
Rectal prolapse is a condition “where the tissue of the rectum protrudes out of the anal
canal” (ACG, 2005). It is a close cousin of hemorrhoids, with similar symptoms such as
bleeding and/or the rectum turns itself inside out. The main difference between rectal
prolapse and hemorrhoids is that the former involves a segment of the bowel located
higher up within the body whereas the latter develops near the anal opening.
Rectal prolapse occurs predominantly in children under age 6 and the elderly (NIH, 2005).
For adults, it is often the result of a long-standing habit of low fiber and high fat diet, and
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in turn, a history of straining to have bowel movements. Specifically for females, rectal
prolapse can be due to anal injury during delivery. For infants and children, this condition
is associated with toilet training problems, episodes of diarrhea, whooping cough or
malnutrition (Hemorrhoids, 2005).