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Why Every Sex Toy Is Suddenly Cute and Pastel-Coloured

Over the past few years, there’s been a gradual but noticeable shift – specifically in relation to what sex toys look like, how they’re marketed and who they’re for. Gone are the peak days of fluffy handcuffs and plasticky neon Rampant Rabbits. The must-have sex toys of today are discreet, neutrally-coloured and reminiscent of stylish Scandi kitchenware. They’re also no longer “sex toys” – they’re “intimate wellness” products, filed under the same general category as CBD oils and healing crystals.

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Featured

  Internet-enabled orgasms: How teledildonics are changing the way we have sex

However, sex toys are no longer limited to the analogue dildos and masturbators of the past. Today, they have become increasingly sophisticated. Internet-connected toys, known as teledildonics, are novel devices designed to enhance sexual experiences by mimicking elements of real human intimacy — such as genital touch, body warmth, synchronized movements or orgasmic sensations — without a partner being physically present.

 Health benefits of sex toys could soon be formally recognised by doctors

“Among the identified studies, vibrators were considered as an accepted modality to enhance a woman’s sexual experience and positively correlated with increased sexual desire, satisfaction, and overall sexual function,” they wrote. “Vibratory stimulation improved pelvic floor muscle strength, vulvodynia, and improved incontinence.”

Articles of Interest

How Modern Sex Shops Became Wellness Temples

Acts of pleasure have now become big business. Once confined to adult stores and hushed conversations between friends, sex has entered the mainstream as an integral pillar of wellness.

The Stimulating History of Sex Toys

What is the oldest sex toy in existence? Why were butt plugs once marketed as a cure for asthma? Why is it still illegal to sell sex toys in some parts of the United States? I recently interviewed sex historian and journalist Hallie Lieberman for the Sex and Psychology Podcast to dive into the fascinating history of sex toys (listen to the full episode here). Hallie is author of the incredibly entertaining book, Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy.

When Sex Toy Misuse Sends People to the Emergency Room

You all know that I’m an advocate for sex toys. The data are clear that most people who use them report benefits and overwhelmingly positive effects. For example, sex toys are an easy way of interjecting novelty into a relationship and keeping the spark alive (which is why sex toy use is one of the biggest things that differentiates the most from the least sexually satisfied couples!). Sex toys can also help you to explore your body and to discover new sources of pleasure. They can help you to live out your fantasies. They can help to facilitate orgasm—and close the orgasm gap. They can even potentially help people to deal with sexual difficulties (for example, masturbation devices can help some men to develop better ejaculatory control).

A deep dive into devices for sexual health

Sexual health is a cornerstone of women’s emotional and physical health and well-being. Women consistently report that their providers do not inquire about sexual health, and they would like us to do so because they trust us. Most women and couples have tried a sex device for enjoyment or therapeutic reasons, and there is a small body of research supporting a role for vibrators and dilators in improving sexual functioning and gratification. Health care providers can become a helpful resource by staying informed on the topics their patients primarily search the internet for advice on.

Apparently, Sex Toys Are Safer Than Children’s Toys

You read that right: Sex toys might be safer than children's toys. Chemically, that is. According to The Guardian, a study by the Swedish Chemical Agency, fewer sex toys contained dangerous chemicals than did children's toys. To be fair, the agency also studied way fewer sex toys than they did children's toys.

As sex toys evolve into the mainstream, so do their challenges

Sex toys have come a long way, but U.S. culture is far from fully accepting them. Men’s vibrators, masturbators and anal plugs have kept up a terrible reputation. “Mainstream media still kind of presents men using sex toys as someone who is not attractive enough,” Aoyama said. For women, it’s not much better. “The stigma of a woman experiencing sexuality, and not to make a baby, just for her own pleasure, it’s still there,” Lieberman said.

Avoid toxic toys: A guide on using sex toys safely

Public awareness — and panic — over dangerous and carcinogenic everyday materials has increased dramatically over the past few years. In our lifetimes, we’ve seen bisphenol A removed from our water bottles, found out that Splenda can increase your risk for diabetes and learned that Coca-Cola deteriorates everything it touches, especially our bodies.

Benefits Of Sex Toys

Sexual health is an important aspect of overall health and the use of sex toys greatly contributes to individual and partner experience. Even after centuries of misinformation, the devices are used as a means to help explore fantasies, enhance intimacy and build sexual confidence. Unlike popular belief, sex toys are not just masturbation-oriented; they can even help relationships. Designed for people of all genders, orientations, and abilities, the toys promote closer sexual health knowledge. Supported by scientific evidence pointing out their benefits, sex toys can be an excellent addition to a healthy and happy sex life.

Bringing sex toys out of the dark: exploring unmitigated risks

The documented physical, biological, and chemical hazards of sex toys can produce a range of acute and chronic health effects. Given that products manufactured for recreational sexual use comprise a wide variety of materials and forms, most ostensibly intended for contact with sensitive body parts, assessing associated risks is a daunting task.

Ever thought about the toxins in your sex toys?

Few eco-conscious shoppers consider the chemicals used to create their intimate devices. Yes, those things — from vibrators resembling long-eared bunny rabbits to sleeves and rings in shapes ranging from faux female to flower power. If these seem like unmentionables, that’s part of the problem: while some are made with unsafe materials, it’s tough to talk about that like, well, adults. But it’s necessary. Unlike other plastic items that humans put to biologically intimate use — like medical devices or chew-friendly children’s toys — sex toys go largely unregulated and untested.

Exploring the Intersection of Sex Toys and Health

Sex toys have emerged from the shadows of taboo to become recognized tools for sexual pleasure and exploration. Yet, beyond their role in enhancing intimacy, sex toys also have implications for health and well-being. From promoting sexual satisfaction to addressing sexual health concerns, the use of sex toys can have a range of positive effects on physical and emotional health.

Finally, Dildos are Getting Safety Standards

For the first time, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)—an independent, non-governmental group that sets safety standards for many industries—introduced standards for the quality of sex toys. Now, if it’s meant to go inside or around your genitals, and the manufacturer wants to stand out in terms of quality and safety, it will have to meet certain requirements to get ISO certification.

How sex toys are being redesigned to help survivors of sexual assaul

A healthy sex life can feel unattainable for survivors of sexual assault. But new products, from brushes to non-penetrative tools, are giving women a powerful way to reclaim their bodies.

How to Clean Sex Toys

Sex toys like vibrators, dildos, and anal toys come in direct contact with bodily fluids, so it’s important to know how to clean them properly. Cleaning your sex toys doesn’t have to be complicated, but the consequences of neglecting to do so can be.

How to Tell If Your Sex Toy Is Toxic

Sex toys have practically become synonymous with female sexual empowerment, and are often seen as tools for facilitating sexual agency. While their existence is largely positive, we shouldn’t always assume our sex toys are just fun toys to get us off. In some cases, poorly-made or hard-to-sterilize toys could even lead to injury and illness.

How to Use Sex Toys, According to an Expert

If you find learning how to use sex toys to be a daunting task, you’re not alone. I’ve tested over 1,000 in the last decade and am well aware that it can feel extremely overwhelming to try a new toy, especially if you’re a beginner to vibrators. That’s why I’m here to help. Learning how to use a vibrator, especially a more basic one, isn’t as complicated as some instruction booklets make it seem. Here’s my advice on how to use sex toys based on the most common types on the market, as well as recommendations that I firmly believe belong in everyone’s nightstand.

Is Your Sex Toy Safe? The Best & Worst Sex Toy Materials

One chemical commonly used in sex toys is phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that aid in binding things together and make plastic more flexible. Phthalates are usually found in the rubber of cheap sex toys. In the past two decades, phthalates have become the subject of a major public health concern. The exposure to phthalates has been linked to male fertility issues, obesity, type 2 diabetes, asthma, neurodevelopmental issues, and more.

Science confirms what we knew along: Sex toys are medicine

Hopefully, it won't take another lockdown for science to reckon with how and why there continue to be huge gaps in research when it comes to understanding women and queer pepople’s sexual health needs.

Self-Love in Action: The Mental Health Benefits of Sex Toys

When caring for our mental health, we often turn to therapy, meditation, or exercise. (Which are all very important.) But have you ever considered the surprising benefits sex toys can offer? Yes! Pleasure as medicine is not just a catchy phrase. Best of all, using sex toys can positively affect our mental well-being, and we can prove it!

Sex toys are switching from hedonism to health

No longer merely concerned with pleasures of the flesh, sex tech is now all about wellness.

Sex Toys Shed Fertility-Damaging Chemicals

Scientists have discovered that various types of sex toys may be capable of shedding microplastics and other dangerous chemicals. Four forms of sex toys—dual vibrators, external vibrators, anal toys and anal beads—were found to contain phthalates, which are chemicals known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys and reproductive system at high concentrations, according to a study published in the journal Microplastics and Nanoplastics. The chemicals were found in the sex toys at levels above the U.S. regulations and EU standards for children's toys.

Sex Toys: Benefits and Negative Health Implications

Did you know that sex toys have been around since the 15th century. However, the sex toys then were not used only for sexual pleasures but for defloration rituals.

The Role of Vibrators in Women’s Pelvic Health: An Alluring Tool to Improve Physical, Sexual, and Mental Health

Our pilot study illustrated how vibrators can be an excellent tool for improving and maintaining sexual, pelvic, and overall health. Regular vibrator use can improve female sexual and genitourinary functions as well as mental health and quality of life. Therefore, consideration should be given to recommending vibrators as rehabilitation tools to improve overall health.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Sex Toys in Modern Relationships

In an era where self-awareness and self-care are increasingly valued, we're seeing a growing recognition and acceptance of our sexual well-being. This shift is evident in the rising popularity of sex toys and the recognition of their numerous benefits in our lives. Sex toys, with a rich history across various cultures, are now more openly celebrated for their diverse advantages, which extend beyond the sexual to include mental and physical aspects.

The Twee Design Movement Has Come for Vibrators

There was a time in the ’90s and early aughts when the sex toy of choice was a plastic, brightly colored, battery-operated vibrator with rotating iridescent beads in the shape of a bunny, ears and all: the Rabbit. It was cemented in the zeitgeist when it became a major plot point on a 1998 episode of Sex and the City. (“I’m scared if I keep using it I’ll never be able to enjoy sex with a man again,” Charlotte said.) Since then, sex toys have gotten a lot sexier.

These sex toys are designed to heal, one orgasm at a time

MysteryVibe set out to design sex toys and ended up creating medical devices for people with menopause, erectile dysfunction, and pelvic floor pain.

Vibrators had a long history as medical quackery before feminists rebranded them as sex toys

For most of the 20th century, vibrators remained innocuous quackery. Good Housekeeping even bestowed its seal of approval on some models in the 1950s. When the sexual revolution hit America in the 1960s, vibrators were largely forgotten, outdated appliances.

Why Every Woman Should Use Sex Toys

Sex toys can make your sex life infinitely more satisfying. In fact, for some women, a vibrator is necessary to orgasm. While these products may seem intimidating for first-time users, they can be great tools to discover new ways to get and give pleasure in the bedroom and explore what satisfies you sexually.

Resources

9 Surprising Sex Toy Mistakes You Might Be Making

The best thing about sex toys is that you can pretty much use them in whatever way brings you pleasure. It’s your body, so you get to pick what toys to use and how: the shape, the type of touch, the intensity, the location, and a lot more. It’s like the world’s most pleasurable choose-your-own-adventure journey. However, there are a few precautions to take when you use sex toys and some general ground rules that can make sure you have an even better time.

The best sex toys, tested and reviewed

A sex toy can help you try something new, steam up the bedroom, and make you feel comfortable and confident in your body.