Fisting—also known as fist fucking (FF),[1] handballing, and brachioproctic or brachiovaginal insertion[2]—is a sexual activity that involves inserting one or more hands into the rectum (anal fisting) or the vagina (vaginal fisting).[1] Fisting may be performed on oneself (self-fisting)[3] or performed on one person by another. People who engage in fisting are often called "fisters".[1][4]
Fisting's emergence as a sexual practice is commonly attributed to gay male culture.[5][6] However, its precise origin is disputed. Some claim fisting began in the twentieth century,[7][8][9] whereas others assert the practice dates back to the eighteenth century or earlier.[5][10] Sex educator Robert Morgan Lawrence, for example, claimed the practice dates back thousands of years.[11]
Sex clubs partly or entirely dedicated to fisting emerged around the time of the gay liberation movement. Arguably the most famous fisting club was the Catacombs in San Francisco, which operated during the 1970s and 1980s.[12] The Handball Express was another such club.[13] Crisco was commonly used as a lubricant—prominently featured in pornographic films like Erotic Hands (1980)[14]—before specialized products became available.[15][6]
During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, cities such as San Francisco[16] and New York[17] forcibly closed gay establishments that, accurately or not, were believed to permit unsafe sex,[18] including fisting.[15] Consequently, most venues that permitted fisting, namely gay bathhouses and sex clubs, permanently closed.[19][6] While the closures were supported by some in the gay community (such as Randy Shilts), others—including the gay press, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and San Francisco Human Rights Commission—criticized the decision as counterproductive and a violation of civil liberties.[18] 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.[18]
Fisting's visibility and popularity has grown in the twenty-first century,[20][21] likely due in large part to the internet[22] and greater HIV prevention and treatment options. Fisting pornography is now widely available online[23] and fisters can easily meet via social media platforms, some of which are tailored for fisting (e.g. Recon).[24][25] Gay bathhouses have made a comeback, with some even advertising fisting parties and live demonstrations.[26][15]
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" or "duck-billing", because the hand position resembles a duck beak.[2][3]
In more vigorous forms of fisting, often referred to as "punching" or "punchfisting", the hand is partly or fully clenched into a fist before, during, and/or after insertion.[27]
Taking two hands at once is referred to as "double fisting".[4][6] 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.[2]
Oftentimes, hands are inserted up to the wrist.[5] Some experienced fisters enjoy deeper penetration, sometimes referred to as "depth play",[28] in which hands may be inserted as far as the elbow.[5][4]
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.
While rare, some experienced fisters are capable of taking three hands.[29]
.jpg)
Lubricants designed specifically for fisting or with fisting as an intended use are widely available in some countries.[30] Fisting lubes sold in the United States include X Lube,[31] K Lube,[30] FFäusten,[32] Fistpowder,[33] and Slam Dunk.[34]
Fisters commonly use dildos to loosen the vagina or anus before or during a fisting session.[4][35] Some companies sell dildos that replicate the appearance and sensation of hands. Examples of fist-shaped toy manufacturers include Hankey's Toys,[36][37] SquarePegToys,[38][39] and John Thomas Toys.[40]
Common fisting-related terms include:
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.[1]
Fisting can cause laceration or perforation of the vagina, perineum, rectum, or colon, resulting in serious injury[44] and even death.[45][46][47][48][6] As anal fisting may cause damage to the rectal mucosa, it may increase the likelihood of transmission of sexually transmitted infections.[49] In addition, sexual activities that force air into the vagina can lead to a fatal air embolism, predominantly during pregnancy.[50][6]
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. 18.1% of men who engaged in fisting experienced some form of fecal incontinence in the last month, compared to 7.2% of men who did not engage in fisting.[51][52][53] However, more research is required to establish a causal link.[53]
A 2022 report published in peer-reviewed academic journal Sex Education found that "clinical and forensic research has over-inflated the ‘dangers’ of fisting without an understanding of contexts in which fisting takes place."[15] It also found that anal and vaginal fisting present "low to no risk" of sexually transmitted infections.[15]
Gloves, lubricant, and fingernail trimming can help reduce risk.[54][30][35]
Fisting has been depicted or referenced in art, music, cinema and other forms of popular culture. Examples include:
In the United Kingdom, performing fisting[96] and fisting pornography are both legal.[97] However, until 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considered publication of fisting material to be grounds for prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act 1959[98] and Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, the latter of which prohibits so-called "extreme pornography."[99] Such prosecutions were not always successful. For instance, in R v Peacock (2012), the jury found Michael Peacock not guilty of breaching the Obscene Publications Act for selling DVDs containing anal fisting.[100] That same year, a jury took less than 90 minutes[101] to acquit Simon Walsh for possession of images of anal fisting that CPS alleged constituted illegal, extreme pornography.[96] In 2019, CPS declared it would no longer prosecute pornography produced by consenting adults engaging in legal acts,[102] including fisting.[97]
Fisting is on the Cambria List, 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.[23] However, as of 2019, the Cambria List is generally regarded as obsolete within the American pornography industry.[103]
.svg){kind=small}
