Recent Survey Shows 45% of People Are Unfamiliar With Pegging

What is pegging? Do you know?

Online sex toy retailer Lovehoney recently reported that 45% of people are unfamiliar with the term “pegging” or don’t know exactly what the word means. A Marie Claire article from November 2020 called it “the latest move that’ll boost your sex life,” as though pegging was some mysterious new phenomenon that had been invented overnight. In fact, the term goes back to the early 2000s when it was coined by sex advice columnist Dan Savage in Savage Love — though the act itself inevitably goes back way further.

So what is pegging? Well, for one, it has nothing to do with your sexuality, and much more to do with pleasure. PinkNews describes it as such: “Traditionally, pegging is when a person with a vagina dons a strap-on and anally penetrates a person with a penis.” People with penises have anal G-spots (the prostate gland), and pegging allows access to that spot in a way some folks may have trouble on their own.

Articles on ‘what is pegging’ will inevitably try to fit the act into a heteronormative, straight-people act. But we know better. While it’s true that pegging has gotten more popular with heterosexual couples over the past few years, it is simply a sex act at the end of the day — and folks regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation can enjoy it.

If you’re like us, you learned everything you needed to know about ‘what is pegging?’ from this episode of Broad City:

Charlie Glickman, Ph.D., gave Cosmopolitan some tips for couples trying pegging for the first time. “Wearing a strap-on, having an erection, it’s a different experience for people who didn’t grow up with penises. … So, I recommend they practice wearing it and moving with it by themselves first,” he says. In addition to a strap-on, you’ll need lubricant as well, and you’ll need to remember that if the dildo you’re using is made of silicone, you’ll need to use a water-based lube.

You’ll also need to remember — perhaps most importantly — that communication is key. Like with all new sex acts, talking about it first is the most effective way to ensure both parties have a pleasurable experience.

So what is pegging? Now you know. Are you surprised that so many people don’t know what pegging is?

Featured image: Getty Images

This article was originally published on March 8, 2021. It has since been updated.