By Alice || Edited by Go Ask Alice Editorial Team || Last edited Aug 18, 2023 

85% of users thought this Q&A was helpful



 

## Cite this Response

###   MLA 9    

 

Alice! Health Promotion. "Is eating feces safe?." Go Ask Alice!, Columbia University, 18 Aug. 2023, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/eating-feces-safe. Accessed 18, Sep. 2026.

 Copy Citation

 

 

###   APA    

 

Alice! Health Promotion. (2023, August 18). Is eating feces safe?. Go Ask Alice!, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/eating-feces-safe.

 Copy Citation

 

 



 

Dear Alice,

I've always been fascinated with scat play. My question is this: is consuming (eating) your partner's feces safe? Or will it make me sick... or worse (is it poisonous)?



Dear Reader,

For those who have never heard of it before, coprophagia, or the practice of eating your own or another person's feces, may give new meaning to the term "sexual appetite." Coprophagia is often a component of the wider term coprophilia, which refers to getting sexual pleasure from the excretion of human feces, whether it's from its smell, touch, taste or sight. Scat is another term for feces, and scat sex or scat play refers to using scat in sexual activities. Although *playing* with someone's scat is generally regarded as safe if proper protection is used (think latex gloves, dental dams, washing with soap before and after sex), *eating* someone else's scat—or even your own—can greatly increase your risk of infections. Feces can contain a variety of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasitic worms. This doesn’t mean that eating feces is necessarily poisonous, but it can make someone sick.

Shigella, vibrio, salmonella, and Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) are four bacteria commonly present in fecal matter. These bacteria, along with parasites like amoebas and giardia, can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, bloody stools, fever, nausea and vomiting. Both hepatitis A and E may also be transmitted through contact with fecal matter. While there are very few cases of [hepatitis E](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-e) in the United States (US)—it’s mostly common in developing regions with contaminated freshwater supply and inadequate sanitation. [Hepatitis A](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a), on the other hand, is frequently reported.

Aside from direct fecal consumption, many of these infections can occur just by being in close contact with feces. If your mouth, nose, or any orifice or open cuts or sores touches something that’s had contact with feces (e.g., kissing an unwashed hand after using the bathroom or drinking water contaminated by infected fecal matter), infection is possible as well.

The best way to prevent infection is to limit direct contact between orifices and fecal matter. This might mean refraining from licking of the anus (known as rimming) or using a protective barrier such as a dental dam to cover the anus if you choose to engage in that activity. It can also be important to make sure any objects that are inserted in the anus are kept away from the mouth until they have been properly cleaned. Using condoms during anal sex can also help reduce the possibility of being exposed fecal matter, especially if you plan to engage in oral sex after anal sex has occurred. For those with a vulva, there’s an additional concern regarding urinary tract and vaginal infections, which can be caused when bacteria present in fecal matter enter or come into contact with the vulva. This is way it can be important to practice [proper hygiene and wiping techniques](https://bloom-obgyn.com/vaginal-hygiene-dos-and-donts/).

The idea of experimenting with scat play might heat things up in the bedroom (or bathroom, or anywhere else you choose), and it can be helpful to consider the risks of a behavior before experimenting. Hoping this information has helped curb your curiosity.



   

##  Additional Relevant Topics: 

  [   
	.st0{fill:#0E4159;}
       Sexual and Reproductive Health  ](/topics/sexual-and-reproductive-health) 

85% of users thought this Q&A was helpful



 Was this answer helpful to you? 

   ![](https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/votingapi_reaction/icon-thumbs-up_0.svg)  Yes this answer was helpful to me  

 

 

   ![](https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/votingapi_reaction/icon-thumbs-down_0.svg)  No this answer was not helpful to me  

 

 









 

 

 

 

 Other humans have also viewed… 

##  [Why can I see whole food in my bowel movements?](/answered-questions/why-can-i-see-whole-food-my-bowel-movements) 

  [       General Health  ](/topics/general-health) 



##  [What can I do to stop having nervous bowel movements?](/answered-questions/what-can-i-do-stop-having-nervous-bowel-movements) 

  [      Mental and Emotional Health  ](/topics/mental-and-emotional-health) 



##  [Why do my bowel movements stink so much?](/answered-questions/why-do-my-bowel-movements-stink-so-much) 

  [       General Health  ](/topics/general-health)