Gwyneth Paltrow wants to give you a ‘reality check’ about anal sex

It's been at least a week since Gwyneth Paltrow said something sensational, so you could say this was in the pipeline, so to speak.

The Oscar winner has taken to her lifestyle website Goop to announce that we all need a 'reality check' when it comes to anal sex. Why? Well, according to Gwynnie, 'it’s practically standard in the modern bedroom'. Whether you agree or not, the Goopster has enlisted psychoanalyst Paul Joannides, author of the comprehensive book on sexuality, The Guide to Getting it On!, to take her readers through the realities and risks of entering through the exit door. Gwyneth described the book as 'amazing': 'not just for its straight-up factual information on practically any aspect of sex you can think of, but also for its easy, nonjudgmental, at-times humourous tone.' she says. In case you're curious, Joannides estimates that '10% to 15% of all straight couples' enjoy anal sex.

"But if you ask them how often they have anal vs. vaginal intercourse, they’ll say maybe they have anal one time for every five or ten times they have vaginal intercourse." he explains. "We occasionally, as in once a year, hear from women who say they have anal as often as vaginal, but that’s unusual." "As for gay men, maybe 50% of them have anal sex and 50% don’t."

Find out the answers to many other anal sex questions, including 'Do pre-anal enemas make a difference in terms of health safety?' and 'What should we be telling our kids about anal?' on Goop.