Prevalence and types of rectal douches used for anal intercourse among men who have sex with men in Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Rectal douching (RD) is practised among men who have sex with men (MSM), and various products and materials are used. There have been no studies in Brazil on this practice and its risks in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. METHOD: Between June and August 2015, 401 MSM over the age of 18 were interviewed about their sexual practices associated with RD over the last 3 months. RD was associated with the reported sexual behaviour, and descriptive statistical analyses were conducted on the same. RESULTS: Among the respondents, 85.6% identified themselves as men and 14.4% as transgender; 255 declared themselves to be white (63.6%) and 104 to be mixed (25.9%). From among those who had performed anal sex within the last 3 months (n=369), 197 reported having used RD (53.4%). The most commonly used material was a shower hose (84.5%) and the main product used was water (93%). Of those interviewed, 94.5% never received guidelines from health professionals on this practice and its potential risks. Receptive anal intercourse and RD were found to be associated (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RD is a common practice among the MSM population. Health professionals must deepen their knowledge of this. We propose studies in Brazil on the practice of RD that—from that knowledge strategies for prevention and harm reduction—can be incorporated to the vulnerable populations.