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Fisting

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Fisting—also known as fist fucking (FF) and handballing<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Herrman">Template:Cite book</ref>—is a sexual activity that involves inserting one or more hands into the rectum (anal fisting) or the vagina (vaginal fisting).<ref name=":11" /> Fisting may be performed on oneself (self-fisting) or performed on one person by another.<ref name=":32" /> People who engage in fisting are often called "fisters".<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":18">Template:Cite web</ref>

Fisters have developed a distinct subculture with its own history, norms, and values, including literature and clubs for sexual, social, and spiritual exploration.<ref name=":30" /><ref name=":31">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name="Herrman" /><ref name=":3" />

An illustration of a woman fisting her own vagina
Vaginal self-fisting

History

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Fisting's emergence as a sexual practice is commonly attributed to gay male culture.<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Herrman" /> However, its precise origin is disputed. Some claim fisting began in the twentieth century,<ref name="Damousi">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Bergman">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> whereas others assert the practice dates back to the eighteenth century or earlier.<ref name=":16">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":30" /><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref> Sex educator Robert Morgan Lawrence, for example, claimed the practice dates back thousands of years.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="1occupytampa.org">Gayle Rubin, "The Catacombs: A Triumph of the Butthole", in Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice, Alyson Press, 1992, Template:ISBN, pp. 119-141; reprinted in Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader, Duke University Press, 2011, Template:ISBN, Template:Cite web, retrieved September 30, 2014.</ref>

Fisting gained visibility and popularity around the time of the gay liberation movement.<ref name=":27">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":25">Template:Cite journal</ref> Whereas until the 1960s fisting was generally confined to the bedroom,<ref name=":2" /> by 1969 men openly engaged in fisting at gay bathhouses such as St. Marks Baths in New York.<ref name=":27" /> The hanky code and personal advertisements allowed fisters to safely and discreetly signal their interest to potential partners around the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> By 1973, gay bars, bathhouses and clubs such as the Red Star Saloon in South of Market, San Francisco were publicly advertising fisting.<ref name=":27" /><ref name=":22" /> Sex clubs dedicated to fisting quickly emerged, including the Catacombs,<ref name="1occupytampa.org" /> Handball Express,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Red Hanky Express.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:San Francisco Catacombs.jpg
A patch for The Catacombs, a gay and lesbian fisting club.

By 1980, associations had formed in major cities around the world for fisters to meet, play, and socialize with like-minded men,<ref name="Herrman" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":25" /><ref name=":24">Template:Cite journal</ref> including "Fist Fuckers of America" (FFA),<ref name=":27" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Total Ass Involvement League" (TAIL),<ref name=":29" /><ref name=":28">Template:Cite book</ref> and "Mid America Fists In Action" (MAFIA).<ref name=":2" /> Founded in the late 1960s,<ref name=":2" /> FFA established chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Washington, D.C.<ref name=":26">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FFA registered as a non-profit under the pseudonym "Fall Festival Association."<ref name=":26" /><ref name=":29">Template:Cite web</ref> TAIL was founded in the early 1970s and included members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> MAFIA was founded in Chicago in 1978 and remains active as of 2025.<ref name=":23">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fisting parties became a major social activity for "dedicated handballers," some of whom attended as many as three each month.<ref name=":2" /> Parties tended to be held at gay bathhouses with carefully controlled guest lists ranging from eight to eighty people.<ref name=":2" /> In 1975, approximately 300 men gathered for a two-day fisting convention and contest organized by FFA in Ossining, New York.<ref name=":27" /> In addition to arranging sex parties, associations organized social events including dinners, games, cook-outs and bar meet-ups.<ref name=":23" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Crisco was commonly used as a fisting lubricant since it was inexpensive and widely available,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":15" /> as depicted in pornographic films such as Erotic Hands (1974).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result, "Crisco" became a euphemism for fisting in gay slang.<ref name=":27" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The onset of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s claimed the lives of countless fisters, many of whom were particularly vulnerable due to the common pairing of fisting with unprotected anal sex and drugs.<ref name="Herrman" /> In response to the AIDS crisis, safe sex advocates launched public health campaigns to promote the use of gloves.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Herrman" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, cities such as San Francisco<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and New York<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> forcibly closed gay establishments that—accurately or not—were believed to permit unsafe sex,<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref> including fisting.<ref name=":15">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":25" /> Consequently, many popular venues for fisting permanently closed.<ref>Gayle S. Rubin, "Elegy for the Valley of Kings: AIDS and the Leather Community in San Francisco, 1981-1996", in In Changing Times: Gay Men and Lesbians Encounter HIV/AIDS, ed. John H. Gagnon, Peter M. Nardi, and Martin P. Levine, University of Chicago Press, 1997, Template:ISBN, pp. 101-144.</ref> Although closures were supported by some members of the gay community, many regarded the closures as a product of anti-gay hysteria as well as anti-sex attitudes and disapproval of gay sexual activity in particular.<ref name=":12" /> The gay press, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and San Francisco Human Rights Commission criticized the closures as counterproductive and a violation of civil liberties.<ref name=":12" />

Fisting's visibility and popularity has grown in the twenty-first century,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> likely due in large part to the internet and greater HIV prevention and treatment options.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fisting pornography is now widely available online and fisters can easily meet via social media platforms, some of which are tailored for fisting (e.g. Recon).<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gay bathhouses have made a comeback, with some once again hosting and advertising fisting parties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":15" />

Techniques

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Trust between partners is generally imperative to ensure physical and psychological safety and enjoyment.<ref name=":30" /> A common technique, particularly for beginners, is to extend four fingers straight with thumb tucked beneath. Some refer to this technique as the "silent duck."<ref name="Herrman" /><ref name=":32" /> In more vigorous forms of fisting, often referred to as "punching" or "punch fisting", the hand is partly or fully clenched into a fist before, during, and/or after insertion.<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Silentduck.jpg
"Silent duck" hand position

Oftentimes, hands are inserted up to the wrist.<ref name=":16" /> Some experienced fisters enjoy deeper penetration, referred to as "depth play", in which hands may be inserted as far as (or past) the elbow.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":16" /><ref name=":18" /> Taking two hands at once is referred to as "double fisting".<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":18" /> In the case of double fisting, pleasure may be derived more from the stretching of the anus or vagina than from the in-and-out movement of hands.<ref name="Herrman" /> In rare cases, experienced fisters are capable of taking three hands.<ref name=":28" /><ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lubricants designed specifically for fisting or with fisting as an intended use are widely available in some countries.<ref name=":19">Template:Cite web</ref> Fisters commonly use sex toys to loosen the anus or vagina before or during a fisting session.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":18" /><ref name=":20">Template:Cite web</ref> Sometimes a penetrative partner may insert their penis or a sex toy at the same time as their hand(s), to masturbate inside the receptive partner's rectum or vagina.

Douching is common before anal fisting both for aesthetic purposes and to reduce risk of fecal contamination.<ref name=":2" />

Anal fisting performed by a man on himself
Anal self-fisting

Terminology

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According to The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, "fisting" and "fist fuck" entered the American slang lexicon no later than 1969.<ref name=":11" /> Common fisting-related terms include:

  • Fist; fist fuck (verb): "the practice of inserting the hand (and part of the arm) into a partner's anus (or vagina) for the sexual pleasure of all involved,"<ref name=":11">Template:Cite book</ref> commonly abbreviated as "FF" or "FFun."<ref name=":30">Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • Handball: synonym for fistingTemplate:Ref
  • Fister; fist-fucker: a practitioner of fisting; or, depending on context, a penetrative partner ("top") in a fisting session involving two or more people.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":18" />
  • Fistee: a receptive partner ("bottom") in a session involving two or more people.<ref name=":18" />
  • Punch; punch fist (verb): fisting in which the hand is partly or fully clenched into a fist before, during, and/or after insertion.<ref name="Herrman" /><ref name=":17" />
  • Double; double fist (verb): fisting in which two hands are inserted simultaneously.<ref name=":18" />
  • Rosebud; prolapse: when rectal walls prolapse to such degree that they protrude out of the anus. Can be induced by fisting or other ass play (named due to resemblance to a rose flower).<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Bloom (verb): the act of inducing a rosebud or prolapse.<ref name=":4" />

In medical contexts, fisting is sometimes referred to brachioproctic eroticism<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> or brachioproctic/brachiovaginal insertion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Template:Note"Fisting" and "handballing" are often used interchangeably, but some consider the former term to be crude or violent and perceive the latter as more closely associated with "intimate love-making and spiritual communion."<ref name="Herrman" /><ref name=":25" />

Picture of a red rose
A blooming rose is a common symbol and metaphor for fisting

Risks

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Safe enjoyment of fisting requires an understanding of potential risks and techniques for mitigating them.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":2" /> Fisting carries a risk of transmitting sexually transmitted infections. When practiced improperly, fisting can cause serious injuries, including perforation of the vagina, perineum, rectum, or colon, that in rare cases can result in death.<ref name=":31" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Sexual activities that force air into the vagina can lead to a fatal air embolism, predominantly during pregnancy.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

A 2021 study found that men who practiced anal fisting were more likely to experience fecal incontinence than men who engaged in other forms of anal sex, but more research is required to establish a causal link and determine whether this is temporary or long-term.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":21">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

A 2022 study found that "clinical and forensic research has over-inflated the 'dangers' of fisting without an understanding of contexts in which fisting takes place."<ref name=":15" /> It also found that anal and vaginal fisting present "low to no risk" of sexually transmitted infections.<ref name=":15" /> Gloves, lubricant, and fingernail trimming can help reduce risk.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":19" /><ref name=":20" />

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References to fisting can be found in art, music, cinema and other forms of popular culture. Examples include:

Art

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File:Ringold Alley, San Francisco.jpg
San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley

Performance art

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Music

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  • The album cover for Slide... Easy In by Rod McKuen (1977) depicts gay porn star Bruno's fist clenching "Disco" shortening.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":13">1977 cover art for Slide Easy In by Rod McKuen, digitized and published on Blogspot.com on January 29, 2015. Inscription on cover reads, in part: "If this album sounds different, it tried to be. The performers, producers, the players (whether part of the enormous rhythm section or the full symphony complement of strings) knew this was a project everyone had to get into; not just on the surface, but deeply—and together. If you don't feel "easy in" then perhaps your threshold of pain or pleasure needs looking into. [...] Photos of Bruno courtesy of Target Studios. Bruno Courtesy of The Bull Pen. Special thanks to Target."</ref> The inscription states "this was a project everyone had to get into; not just on the surface, but deeply—and together. If you don't feel "easy in" then perhaps your threshold of pain or pleasure needs looking into."<ref name=":13" /> (The European edition of the album featured a different cover because the original was considered "too outrageous.")<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • "Krisco Kisses" (1984) by Frankie Goes to Hollywood<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • "Stinkfist" (1996) by Tool
  • Music video for "House of Air" (2017) by Brendan Maclean<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Monument to Joe Louis--.jpg
The Monument to Joe Louis, which made headlines in 2013 for what was widely considered a fisting joke

Film

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Pornographic films

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Television

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Literature

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Clubs

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File:La Fistinière.jpg
La Fistinière, a fisting club in France

Other

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File:Red-Hanky-Handkerchief-Code.jpg
In the handkerchief code, the color red signifies interest in fisting.
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In some nations, fisting—particularly anal fisting—has historically been censored and criminalized due to its association with gay sex and characterization by critics as an obscene and deviant act.<ref name=":32">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":33">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":15" />

United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, performing fisting<ref name="extreme-porn-trial">Template:Cite news</ref> and fisting pornography are both legal.<ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref> However, until 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considered publication of fisting material to be grounds for prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act 1959<ref name=":9">Template:Cite webTemplate:Void</ref> and Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, the latter of which prohibits so-called "extreme pornography."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1998, the University of Central England was involved in a controversy when a library book by Robert Mapplethorpe was confiscated from a student by the police, who informed the university that two photographs in the book (including one involving fisting) would have to be removed. If the university agreed to the removal (which it did not) the book would be returned. The two photographs, which were deemed possibly prosecutable as obscenity, included "Helmut and Brooks, NYC, 1978", which shows anal fisting.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="independent1998"/><ref name="autogenerated1999">Template:Cite web</ref> However, after a delay of about six months, the affair came to an end when Peter Knight, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, was informed that no legal action would be taken.<ref name="independent1998"/><ref name="autogenerated1999"/> The book was returned to the university library without removal of the photos.<ref name="Smartt2011">Template:Cite book</ref> In R v Peacock (2012), the jury found Michael Peacock not guilty of breaching the Obscene Publications Act for selling DVDs containing anal fisting.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That same year, a jury took less than 90 minutes<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to acquit Simon Walsh for possession of images of anal fisting that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleged constituted illegal, extreme pornography.<ref name="extreme-porn-trial" /> In 2019, the CPS declared it would no longer prosecute pornography produced by consenting adults engaging in legal acts,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including fisting.<ref name=":10" />

United States

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Fisting was historically subject to censorship in the United States. For example, in the 1970s, the Los Angeles Police Department forced director Wakefield Poole to remove depictions of fisting from his films as a precondition for airing them in the city.<ref name=":33" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Fisting was included on the Cambria List, meant to be a list of sex acts that carry risk of prosecution under U.S. obscenity law, created by Paul Cambria in 2001 to help producers avoid obscenity lawsuits.<ref name=":6" /> However, as of 2019, the Cambria List is generally regarded as obsolete within the American pornography industry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

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References

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