What Is Fingering?

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on January 15, 2024
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributor
5 min read

Fingering means using the fingers to stimulate another person's genitals. 

The clitoris is the most sensitive area for fingering because it has so many nerve endings, two to three times more than the penis.

The vagina does not have as many nerve endings as the vulva, but certain areas may respond to touch. Some people also may enjoy anal finger play, since the anus also has many nerve endings.

Digital sex is another name for fingering. It’s also sometimes called manual sex or manual stimulation.

Some people might use fingering as a form of foreplay only, but for others, it’s the preferred type of sexual contact. For example, partners who want to avoid pregnancy may use fingering as a way to be sexually intimate. Also, those who don’t want to have vaginal sex during pregnancy may prefer fingering instead.

Fingering is a low-risk sexual activity, but you should still use safe practices. It’s important to remember that it is possible to pass sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other infections through fingering.

It’s a good idea to wash your hands before you and your partner begin. You can also use barriers over the fingers, such as gloves or finger cots, to lower the risk of an infection.

If you and your partner are practicing anal fingering, use a finger cot or rubber glove for anal play and discard it before you move on to touch other areas.

The vulva and anus are tender areas and get easily irritated. Use lube for fingering. Also, make sure your fingernails are trimmed and smooth if you are going to insert them into a partner's vagina or anus.

Finger condoms, also known as finger cots, are made of soft, bendable materials and are designed to slide over the tip of the finger and cover the finger from tip to base. 

You can wear a finger condom to keep a cut on your finger from getting infected. It will stay in place better than a bandage. You should also wear a finger cot for protection when you are using fingers during sexual activity. Partners should as well.

There’s much more you can learn here about finger condoms: how to put them on, how they help and protect, and what risks they might present.

How to put on a finger condom

Disposable finger cots, like traditional condoms, are made of latex and start out rolled up. Putting them on involves a similar process as well. 

First, you slide the cot onto the tip of your finger and then roll it out over the length of your finger. Next, smooth out any bubbles and ensure that the cot lies flat on your finger. 

After using a disposable finger condom, you should wash your hands thoroughly and properly dispose of the condom in a trash can. Disposable finger condoms should never be used more than once. 

You might see finger condoms that are reusable, made of rubber, silicone, or even cloth. These finger cots are not intended for sexual use. They’re marketed to protect your fingers or help with tasks like turning pages in a book. Some even have industrial uses.

When you use a finger condom for sexual activities, you should always dispose of it right after a single activity, so you may have to use more than one within the same sexual session. This prevents bacteria from being taken from one part of the body to another. 

When you get a cut or sore, you want to keep it covered so that it stays moist but not wet. Uncovered wounds can cause new cells to dry out and can delay healing.

But you may find it difficult to get an everyday adhesive strip to stay in place. You use your hands for a lot of things, from typing at work to washing dishes, and these activities can cause bandages to come off, leaving your injury exposed to the air and any nearby bacteria. 

Finger condoms help solve this problem by covering the sore while you’re doing activities that would cause a bandage to come off. For example, you could put on a finger condom before washing dishes or taking a shower. 

Although the bandage may come off when you’re removing the finger condom, you will have protected your finger during the activity you just finished. Then you can replace your bandage without worrying that you got something in your cut.

There are no risks with using finger condoms as directed unless you have a latex allergy. In that case, you may need to pay extra attention to which finger cots you buy, to ensure they are latex-free. Remember that most finger condoms are made with latex. 

There is the risk that a finger condom may slip off and remain inside the body. To prevent this, make sure the finger condom fits snugly when you first put it on. ‌

If you pull a finger out of a body and the finger cot does not come along, try to use a washed finger to pull it out. If you can’t remove it on your own, visit a health clinic right away to get help.

Keep in mind that the risk of your condom, finger or otherwise, slipping off during sex is much less dangerous than the risk of contracting an infection or STD because you weren’t using a finger condom. 

Can you stimulate the G-spot through fingering?

The Grafenberg spot, or G-spot, is a sensitive area on the front wall of the vagina. Contact with this area is sexually pleasurable for some people, but others don’t enjoy it. Scientists still debate whether the G-spot actually exists, though.

Can you stimulate the prostate through fingering?

The prostate is a gland that makes some of the fluid that’s in semen. A finger inserted into the anus can stimulate the prostate. Some men can reach orgasm this way. 

Can fingering help women have more and better orgasms?

Fingering is one of the easiest and most effective ways to stimulate the clitoris, which can play a role in female orgasm. A study of over a thousand women in the United States found that 18% of them could reach orgasm through vaginal intercourse alone. Around 37% said that stimulation of the clitoris was necessary for them to orgasm, while another 36% said that it improved their orgasms.