Interested in dabbling in the back door arts? With anal play becoming a standard in the modern bedroom repertoire, it's time to get on board with prostate play.

While vibrators, porn flicks, and strip clubs have all slowly slipped into the mainstream, anal sex remains one of the final taboos. Why? Some worry that it's messy. Others assume it's painful.

And still others worry that partaking will make others think they're pervy/dirty (perhaps due to the utilization of the poo hole?). Finally, heterosexual men worry that enjoying it indicates that they're gay. None of this is true.

If you're at all interested in trying anal sex, please do put aside the hearsay. Your anus and rectum contain almost as many nerve endings as your other erogenous zones, and exploring them has the potential to provide you with a surplus of pleasure.

Do you really want to miss out on those pleasure possibilities? Don't worry. If you're just starting out, you can go solo first. If it turns out to be something you really enjoy, you can bring it up with your partner later on.

But let's start small. First of all, if you're worried about making a mess, take a trip to the bathroom beforehand, and perhaps even hop in the shower. Once you've got that covered, all you have to do is lube up your index finger with something anal friendly and start exploring!

Feel around outside of your hole first. Once you stop tensing up back there, insert a single finger. Push out with your buttocks as you do so. It will make it easier to ease your way in.

Concentrate on relaxing. If you can, allow your single digit to make its way to the prostate gland, a chestnut-sized, wrinkled ball a couple of inches down.

Stimulation of this gland can produce incredibly intense orgasms. Once you're comfortable with this sort of touch, you can consider inserting something a bit larger…like a small butt plug.

Once you're ready to engage in some couple sex, please don't forget the foreplay! You had to start slow when you were on your own, and going slowly is even more important when you're allowing someone else to get intimate with you.

Ask your partner to massage both your buttocks and the area around your anus before delving deeper. Then, allow them to insert their finger and stimulate your p-spot. If, after this, you feel that you're ready for intercourse, there are several positions you can attempt.

Assuming you're the receiver, you can sit on your partner's lap, facing away from him or her. This way, they can control the depth of their penetration (whether by penis or strap-on dildo). Spooning can also be an ideal angle for backdoor penetration.

Through it all, remember to communicate. It's important to talk about what feels good and what feels uncomfortable.

After all this-if you feel you've mastered penetration by finger, a teensy butt plug, and/or penis and you'd like to explore further-try larger butt plugs, or even anal beads. There are a multitude of ways to play around with sensation back there!