Anal hygiene [ 1 ] refers to practices anal cleansing [ 2 ] that are performed on the anus to maintain personal hygiene , usually immediately or shortly after defecation. Anal cleansing may also occur while showering or bathing. Post-defecation cleansing is rarely discussed academically, [ 2 ] partly due to the social taboo surrounding it.
The scientific objective of post-defecation cleansing is to prevent exposure to pathogens. The process of post-defecation cleansing involves washing the anus and inner part of the buttocks with water.
Water-based cleansing typically involves either the use of running water from a handheld vessel and a hand for washing or the use of pressurized water through a jet device, such as a bidet. In either method, subsequent hand sanitization is essential [ 2 ] to achieve the ultimate objectives of post-defecation cleansing. The ancient Romans used a tersorium Greek : xylospongium , consisting of a sponge on a wooden stick.
The stick would be soaked in a water channel in front of a toilet, and then stuck through the hole built into the front of the toilet [ 4 ] for anal cleaning. To clean the sponge, they washed it in a bucket with water and salt or vinegar. However, this became a breeding ground for bacteria , causing the spread of disease in the latrine.
In ancient Japan , wooden skewers known as chuugi " shit sticks " were used for post-defecation cleaning. The use of toilet paper first started in ancient China around the 2nd century BC. Post-defecation facilities evolved with human civilization, and thus, so did post-defecation cleansing.
