
In comparison, anal incontinence includes the inability to control gas along with inability to control stool.

What is fecal incontinence? Fecal incontinence is the inability to control bowel movements, causing leaks of stool to occur from the rectum. We’ve answered a few common questions about fecal incontinence below. The Difference Between Fecal and Anal IncontinenceĪlthough they sound similar and can be used as interchangeable terms at times, these are actually defined differently. Depending on the severity of the injury determines the severity of the symptoms developed. All of these injuries, however you think about it, can paralyze or diminish the function to one or all anorectal muscles. Causes of Anal Incontinenceįrom the definition stated above, this can occur from, but is not limited to, anal trauma, neurological dysfunction, surgical procedures (inappropriate fissure and/or fistula surgery), anal cancers, and, of course, sexual behaviors.

However, the most common question we get asked is: can anal engagement cause incontinence? Keep reading. Further down on this page, we will dive deeper into how one gets to this point. If you take a step back and think about how this can affect someone’s life, you can see that the overall situation can be detrimental to not only one’s daily living, but also one’s sex life and relationships. Are you simply unable to keep in a fart or do you have fecal matter running down your leg? Or maybe it’s a combo of both? How about just diminished sexual pleasures to both you and your partner(s)? It all stems from the loss of some or all muscular function that maintains normal coaptation and bowel function. One may experience looseness without experiencing anal or fecal incontinence however, the other is not true.

However, within the gay community, specifically, anal incontinence (fecal incontinence or bowel incontinence) is often confused with looseness. No matter how scientifically we define anal incontinence, the fact still remains that in layman’s terms, it’s you losing control of your bowels. While some may think this is something to laugh at, we can assure you that anal incontinence is a medical condition and it does happen to the best of us.
