What Is Pegging? Your Beginner Guide

Pegging refers to a sex act where a woman anally penetrates her partner with strap-on dildo. While pegging is usually referred to in a heterosexual context where a woman penetrates a man, it can happen between people of all genders, such as lesbians who strap on for their female partners to peg them anally or vaginally or a trans man strapping on for a woman.

When Did Pegging Come About?

The concept of having sex with a strap-on may seem risqué, but people have been masturbating and having sex with inantimate objects for thousands of years.

Although the name has changed over time, prostate stimulation and strap-on dildos have been used throughout history by heterosexual women and men who had a difficult time maintaining an erection. Strap-on sex can be confirmed in records and artifacts all the way back to around 12,000 years ago in ancient China, and then through the millennia in France, Greece, ancient Rome, and England. 

Pegging arose in Western mainstream media when porn movies showing women anally penetrating men in the 1970s began to circulate.

In the early 1990s, prostate play became more accepted, especially in European countries, and instructive videos and pamphlets came out illustrating ways to massage the prostate with toys or manually with a finger. The prostate was sometimes called the “A-spot,” the “P-spot,” or the male G-spot, and anal play became mainstream. 

The term “pegging” became official in 2001, when seminal sex columnist Dan Savage ran a contest in his blockbuster ‘Savage Love’ column to find a catchy term for this sexual practice that appeared to be gaining traction in mainstream chatter. 

Why Pegging Feels Good (For Givers and Receivers)

Some men like being penetrated with a strap-on dildo thanks to the prostate, aka the male G-spot, a gland the size of a walnut located 2-3 inches in the anus that is packed with powerful nerve endings. The right kind of stimulation can result in full-body orgasms that some say are more complex than ejaculating by penis stimulation.

Historically, a trick for sex workers to get their clients to ejaculate was by slipping a finger into their anus while administering oral or vaginal sex. Beyond the physiological reason of prostate stimulation, some men also enjoy the “naughtiness” of this type of sex act, or get aroused by it as an act of submission in a BDSM context.

Women who love to peg men may also get a thrill from feeling what it is like to have a penis, or get an erotic power rush by being in the stereotypically dominant position. Giving pleasure to their partner is often a huge turn-on as well, and having your male partner enjoy being in a more vulnerable position can be a bonding experience for both partners.

Plus, the clitoris can rub against the dildo or the partner’s rear, offering additional sensation for the pegger. For those looking for more stimulation while they are pegging their partner, there are also double-ended dildos and vibrators so both parties can receive intense sensations simultaneously.

Pegging Tips

For ladies who have engaged in anal sex, a lot of the preparation and tips are similar, except that you are on the giving end. It’s important to go slow and make sure your partner is comfortable so that you don’t cause them discomfort. Here are some other tips for a successful pegging session:

• Use lots of lube: Remember that a strap-on may have more friction than a real penis, so use plenty of lube both on the dildo as well as in and around your partner’s anus.
• Let your partner take the lead: If you’re not pros, start out each session by letting the receiving partner have full control over the depth and speed of their penetration. Rather than thrusting into them, first let them push back against you while you are stationary, so that they can get accustomed to the sensation on their own terms and stop if it’s uncomfortable. 
• Don’t start thrusting right away: After you penetrate your partner, wait for half a minute or so until the muscles in their anus relax and the thrusting feels less painful and more pleasurable. Check in with them once in a while, and adjust your hips, angle, position, etc. as necessary.