How risky is fisting?

There is a theoretical risk of HIV transmission from fisting if the fister (the guy doing the fisting) has cuts or sores on his hand or wrist, as HIV infected blood could be absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the arse. However, there has only been one reported case of infection occurring this way, so the likelihood is very low.

If more than one person is being fisted, HIV could be passed from one fistee (the guy getting fisted) to another, via anal mucus or blood carried on the fist. It is easy to damage the lining of the arse when fisting so if fisting is followed by fucking without a condom then transmission of HIV to either partner is more likely.

Hepatatis A, which is more infectious than HIV, can be transmitted to either the fister or the fistee and fisting has been identified as a possible route of hepatitis C infection. It is also possible to acquire a variety of gut infections, if traces of shit get passed to the mouth. Using gloves, such as Marigold extra thins or surgical gloves, can cut the risk of most infections if a new pair is used with each sexual partner.

When fisting, sharing a pot of lube with a partner can also lead to the transmission of HIV and other STIs as the pot of lube can become contaminated with blood or anal mucus.

Using oil based lube for fisting (such as Crisco) will create additional risks if you then choose to fuck afterwards as the oil in the lube will damage most condoms. If you think it is likely that you will fist and fuck, use water-based lubricant to fist or use a nonlatex condom which is not damaged by oil (like polyurethane condoms) to fuck.