Sex Toys

Sex Toys 101: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Kaira Klingler
University of Alabama

Abstract
“Although few people speak about them, sex toys are incredibly common in the United States. Recent studies show that in the United States nearly half of all men and over half of heterosexual women have previously used a vibrator” says Emily Stabile, the author of “Getting the Government in Bed” (2013). Also, many American citizens tend to not have a clue about the types of sex toys, what they are made of, and the history behind them. It is an important topic to understand, however, because so many people in our country as well as internationally use them daily for different reasons. These reasons can include personal pleasure, pleasure between couples or multiples, adding diversity to sexual intercourse, or providing assistance to sexually active people with disabilities or elders. Although not many researchers conduct studies about sex toys, there have been a select few that have studied what ethnicities and ages are using sex toys throughout the United States. This paper will examine research studies, information, and statistics that will further approve the idea that sex toys are a positive enhancement in the lives of many, however, without being precautious they may have negative consequences.

Sex Toys 101: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly As an introduction to sex toys, it is necessary to understand the history behind the first sex toys and why ancient decades began creating things such as dildos and vibrators. According to The Book of Kink: Sex Beyond the Missionary, published in 2011 it implies that dildos have a significant history dating back to over 30,000 years ago. The first sex aid was found in Ulm, Germany. It was a stone that was eight inches long and one and half wide. Also around this time in France, a dildo was found that had a double-ended baton on it. Throughout history, “dildos themselves were made of anything from unripe bananas to resin-coated camel dung” (Christina). On the other hand, vibrators were meant for medical purposes, whereas dildos were initially created for pleasure. In an article from Psychology Today, Michael Castleman (2013) explains that “[Doctors] were interested in a labor-saving device to spare their hands the fatigue they developed giving handjobs to a steady stream of 19th century ladies who suffered from “hysteria,” a vaguely defined ailment easily recognizable today as sexual frustration.” Hysteria has been dated back as far as the 13th century. However, it was not until 1734 in France that the first vibrator, ‘Tremoussoir ', was invented. In 1869, the first steam-powered vibrator known as the “Manipulator” was created by George Taylor, an American physician. An interesting and yet controversial point is that in the “…17th century, dildos were less of an option [to cure hysteria] because the arbiters of decency had succeeded in demonizing masturbation as “self-abuse” (Castleman, 2013). What suddenly turned dildos into a self-abusing object? History proves that back 30,000 years ago dildos were created for pleasure and orgasm and suddenly it turned into taboo. While doctors were treating hysteria they would rub and stimulate the clitoris causing them to reach orgasm; however, they were not allowed to call it such. Instead, “they called them “paroxysms” because everyone knew that women were incapable of sexual feelings, so they could not possibly experience orgasm” (Castleman, 2013). Clearly back hundreds of centuries ago, women were capable of sexual feelings, otherwise they would not be creating penis looking objects out of wood and various types of metal to stimulate themselves. By the late nineteenth century, once electricity hit America an English physician by the name of Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville patented the first electromechanical vibrator. This vibrator was a huge success and was even seen in ads like the department store Sears with other electric devices and appliances such as fans, toasters, and sewing machines (Castleman, 2013). Sex toys are made out of many different materials such as cyberskin, silicone and intramed, jelly, rubber, acrylic, glass, steel, leather, nylon, metal, ceramic, wood, hard plastic, and elastomer (Come As You Are). According to the “Safety Dance: Sex Toy Safety for a New Generation” there are three reasons to help choose the safest toy: porosity, chemical composition, and sex toys aren’t regulated. The porosity “describes how porous or absorbent the material is” (Denning, 2012). The less porous it is, the better because otherwise the crevices in the toys will accumulate bacteria, however, that can be sterilized by boiling hot water or putting it in the dishwasher. Chemicals are a big component in sex toys because they are all made out of different materials. The more flexible materials have a chemical known as phthalates. “The EPA has designated phthalates as ‘possible human carcinogens,’ and they have also been linked to neurological and reproductive issues. Phthalates are currently a controversial topic among regulation agencies around the world and are banned in several countries…” says Denning. Also, toys that are packaged phthalate-free may be labeled as false because there currently are no safety regulations in the sex toy industry which is a problem for numerous reasons. This fact continues into the third reason that sex toys are not regulated. Sex toys are often labeled as “for novelty use only” which means that manufacturers are not responsible for any negative consequences that may occur.
Denning explains the following:
This also means that manufacturers are not obligated to report the chemicals and materials used in a product to any higher regulatory body, and that they may report them inaccurately on their packaging without consequence. Consumers who wish to protect their health and remain informed will need to perform outside research to learn the true material composition of many toys on the market today.
This is very dangerous and one of the reasons why the government needs to get more involved with the distribution and manufacturing of sex toys. Also, it is important that consumers who purchase sex toys or other intimate objects read the labels and do their research to make sure what they are purchasing is safe for their body as well as someone else’s body if they are intending on using it with a partner. Some ways to help prevent negative consequences are to read the packaging and understand the materials and chemicals on the labels. “Toys that contain PVC, vinyl, and jelly rubber often contain phthalates” (Denning) however, the claims that certain toys are phthalate-free may be false so some of these materials may or may not have phthalates.
While there are many positives to sex toy use, we have to take into consideration their faults and downfalls as well. Emily Stabile states the following:
Although the current lack of regulation may seem to suggest that Consumers use sex toys safely, a number of potential dangers exist. Despite the dearth of research into Americans ' sex-toy usage, one recent study found that 6,799 individuals over age twenty sought emergency room care in the United States for injuries caused by sex toys between 1995 and 2006. Injuries were caused most often from ‘[v]ibrating devices (including personal massagers) (73.5%), followed by dildos (12.9%), other/unspecified devices (11.7%), and rings’ (1. 9%) (2013, 163-164)
These statistics may be somewhat outdated but it goes to show that sex toys may not be the safest way to pleasure oneself. Majority of these statistics are often skewed due to the fact of embarrassment, not going to seek medical attention, or waiting too long to seek medical attention so that the situation becomes overly severe. Studies show that one of the most common injuries is through anal penetration with a sex toy (71.8%). Reason being is because the tip of the sex toy needs to be flared otherwise it can get lost and may be difficult to retrieve. Also it is important to be precautious and pay close attention to the edges to make sure they are not sharp because that could cause serious tears (Stabile, 2013, 164). According to this article about possibilities for regulating sex toys, “the CPSC 's [Consumer Product Safety Commission] jurisdiction would allow initiation of regulation either by investigation or by petition from interested parties. If successful, a rulemaking could result in mandatory or voluntary rules for the industry” (Stabile, 2013, 169). Currently, the FDA only approves three sex toys for the specific use of medical purposes. However, majority of the use is for pleasure purposes. An interesting point made by Stabile (2013) is that “most sex-toy manufacturers ' products do not go through the FDA 's regulatory approval process for medical devices. This system leaves the general public, who do not need FDA devices tailored and approved for treating sexual dysfunction, in a regulatory void where manufacturers and retailers have complete control” (171). So what do we do to “Get the Government in Bed” and aid America in a better way to manufacture and sell these toys so that they are safe and people understand the consequences if not used correctly? Research is still being conducted to answer this question; however, there are some groups such as CATT (Coalition Against Toxic Toys) and NAASAS (National Association for the Advancement of Science and Art in Sexuality) who are working to better this industry. Now that there is a basic knowledge and understanding about the government, the FDA, and the CPSC’s involvement in the sex toy industry and some of the negative consequences that come along with sex toys, there are studies that show positive outcomes of sex toys of both males and females who are either bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual.
In a study conducted through an internet-based survey:
25,294 gay and bisexually identified men throughout the U.S. recruited interactions with other men. A majority (78.5%) of gay and bisexually identified men reported having used at least one type of sex toy, including dildos (62.1%), non-vibrating cock rings (51.9%), vibrators (49.6%), butt plugs (34.0%), masturbation sleeves (27.9%), and anal beads or balls (19.3%) (Herbenick, D., Novak D., Reece M., et. al, 2012, 449)
This data suggests that gay and bisexual men commonly use sex toys, whether it is solo or partnered sex to enhance their sexual experiences. Even in other countries such as Australia sex toys are used by men. A national survey dated back to 2003 found that 12% of men used sex toys within the previous year in Australia. Another interesting study from the United States found that in 2008, 39% of gay men chose to use a sex toy as an alternative to anal sex (Herbernick et. al, 450). Although these are two separate countries there seems to be a trend that sex toy use is in fact increasing. This may be due to more availability from the internet, in home sex toy parties, and more adult shops. In a recent study 26,257 male participants ages 18-60+ were asked to participate in an internet-based study. 25,294 of these males were either homosexual or bisexual. 82.6% of these participants were Caucasian and 54.5% of them have received a bachelor’s degree or higher. The largest proportions of participants came from New York and California while the lowest population of participants came from Wyoming and North Dakota (Herbernick et. al, 451). Although homosexuals were 83.7% of the survey as opposed to bisexuals, their use of a vibrator, dildo, butt plug, anal bead, sleeve, and cock ring were very similar. Some statistics such as sleeves had a .4% difference and vibrators had a 1% difference between homosexual and bisexual use. However, overall homosexuals were higher in every category. Another interesting category of data came from race and ethnicity. They surveyed Black, White, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Other ethnicities. Because Whites were the majority of the survey they had the most usage among sex toys overall. Other ethnicities which is only 3.1% of the survey had a 44.6% use among vibrators while Caucasians who were again, 82.6% of the survey used vibrators 52.3% of the time. This trend also happened with dildos, butt plugs, anal beads, and cock rings. This research also went into detail about how often they used sex toys, how they used them, their reasons of why these use them, how it makes them feel, and if they had ever used certain toys with a female (Herbenick, et. al, 2012, 452-458).
Specifically, masturbation sleeves had positive outcomes such as it made them feel more sexually aroused, more pleasurable, and it made them orgasm faster and better. However, there were some downfalls to masturbation sleeves which included it made it harder to get an erection and to keep the erection, and it was harder to control when they ejaculated. This study also conducted the same survey with dildos and butt plugs and the results were the exact same. This concludes that masturbation sleeves, dildos, and butt plugs all negatively affect erections and the control of ejaculation but positively affect the pleasure portion of use (Herbernick et. al, 2012, 452-458). Since we’ve touched on males, let’s take a look at the females. A study conducted in 1992-1995 in London sampled females having sexual activity with females as well as females having sexual activity with males. Vaginal penetration with a sex toy with a total of 1,218 women was either considered occasionally or often. Occasionally had a percentage of 37 while often was 16%. On the other hand, in sexual practice with men in the past 10 years, which acquainted 328 females, vaginal penetration with a sex toy was occasionally 16% while it being penetrated often with a sex toy was only 4% (Bailey, J., Farquhar, C., Owen, C., et. al., 2003, 148). It can be inferred that using sex toys between males and females is seen as an occasional act as opposed to an often act. This may be due to wanting to try something new or to spice up the sex.
In using barriers with sex:
Of those who reported sharing sex toys with women (127), 22% of them never washed them before sharing, 31% of them occasionally or often, with 47% always washing them. In addition, 22% of those sharing sex toys used condoms occasionally or often when sharing, and 26% always did (Bailey, et. al, 2003, 149)
It is important to continually wash sex toys and wear condoms if using with a partner during sexual intercourse. There is always a chance of transmitting a disease or infection if not properly taking care of used sex toys. The use of anal penetration and sex toys were less common amongst homosexual activity compared to vaginal penetration with fingers or oral sex. “[This] data on use of barriers in sexual activity seem[s] to imply that lesbians are at risk of STI transmission from men or women, although safer sex may be negotiated in ways other than through the use of condoms or dental dams” (Bailey, et. al, 2003, 149). Amongst 2,056 women (ages ranging from 18-60) in a general usage of vibrators study in the United States, the percentage was found to be 52.5% (Dodge, B., Fortenberry, D., Ghassemi, A. et. al, 2009, 1). As a positive outcome, “most women (71.5%) reported having never experienced genital symptoms associated with vibrator use” (Dodge, et. al, 2009, 1). Interestingly enough, 47.5% of women had never used a vibrator before while the average age of the participating women was almost 40 years of age. Another interesting statistic that came from this study was that women who attended a religious service 1-4 times a month were the women who were using vibrators the most as opposed to women who never attended a service or attended a service more or less often.
A conclusion from this study of women in the United States is that:
Vibrator use among women is common, associated with health-promoting behaviors and positive sexual function, and rarely associated with side effects. Clinicians may find these data useful in responding to patients’ sexual issues and recommending vibrator use to improve sexual function (Dodge, et. al, 2009, 1)
It can be inferred that bisexual or homosexual men and women both have issues with being at risk of STI’s and particularly men with HIV. However, if precautious this can be avoided by proper care of sex toys such as cleaning them, sterilizing them, and putting on condoms when they are not being used by only one person. In chapter nine of The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disabilities (2003) called sex toys, books, and videos, “two old terms for sex toys that we emphatically don’t use are sexual aids and marital aids…the term aid implies that the toy is a replacement or an assistive device, which it isn’t” (Kaufman, M., Odette, F., Silverberg, C., 191). Instead they concluded that sex toys may function as assistive devices but they have not really been designed to do so. This chapter also brings up a category that has yet to be discussed which is a harness. “A harness allows you to use a dildo with someone else without having to hold onto it” (Kaufman, et. al, 2003, 200). Many people use this to penetrate their partners and/or fantasy play. Another category explained for men are penis pumps which work by pumping air into a cylinder which creates a vacuum around the penis, causing an erection. This erection will not last forever, but long enough to be able to engage in sexual activity. There are a lot of questions one needs to ask themselves when they have reduced mobility or motor control as well as asking the clerk at the store so they can understand how exactly this toy is going to be used and what would be best for the situation. There are always solutions to being able to use a sex toy. For example, “some vibrators can be worn on the body so that you don’t need to hold them in place…” (Kaufman et. al, 2003, 214). Another new creation is “remote control” sex toys which can be placed near the part of the body that is going to be stimulated and then turned on with a remote switch. For those who have reaching disabilities some toys have long flexible shafts that will help reaching those particular areas. Another concept to keep in mind is not all disabled people can reach their genitals or may have never experienced any sexual activity so they might not even know how to start the process of stimulating themselves or a partner. Another positive attribute about sex toys is that January 2013 Canada opened the first recycling company for sex toys. Toronto’s Queen West neighborhood was in charge of starting this program. Sarah Forbes-Robert explains in a recent article, “We don’t think the mainstream culture realizes how many people use sex toys” (Seale, 2013, 40). This is a great idea for many reasons. It allows people to recycle their old toys, as well as show society that sex toys are not taboo and so many people around the globe use them on a day to day basis. People need to grow comfortable with the idea of sex toys and recycling them is a environmentally safe way to promote that. “Globally, the [sex] industry pulls in $15-billion and it is growing by 30 percent annually” (Seale, 2013, 40). This profit doesn’t lie. Sex toys are a beneficial product. They may not have the security of safety by the government, but with precaution sex toys are beneficial to the person being pleasured, to the industry that sells them, and now to the environment thanks to Canada who’s starting to recycle them.
This article explains that:
[A] sex shop owner is hopeful that evolving attitudes might also inspire people to take action and launch their own recycling stewardship programs…[and] ‘if people start talking to their cities, as a democratic citizen action, maybe this is something that will start being picked up by municipalities’ (Seale, 2013, 41)
“So far the shop has received 40 or so sex toys” (Seale, 2013, 41). Forbes-Roberts did not know what to expect and they have yet to set any goals, but they are hoping that their program will progress. To conclude, sex toys around the globe have their pros and cons. They enhance your sexual experiences whether that is solo sex, with multiple people, or partnered sex. It also adds variety to your sexual activity which for many is a plus. Another benefit is that sex toys help people who are disabled in various ways. Statistics also show that homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual all find some sort of pleasure through sex toys which may be that it enhances their orgasm, it allows them to try different types of sex like anal, or it just feels more pleasurable. However, there are downfalls such as emergency visits to a medical facility due to a cut or loss of a sex toy in your anus or vagina, or allergic reactions because of the types of materials and chemicals used. Also, the government fluctuates on their strictness or control about sex toys and where they are allowed to be purchased and sold. The government also does not have control over the industry because of their “for novelty use only” label. Overall, it is up to the individual who is seeking to use a sex toy to do their research and gain information on the product they are purchasing, use it properly, clean it properly, and be sure it does not have any rough edges so they do not hurt themselves. The concluded message is everyone is free to enjoy and explore sex toys, they just be precautious.
References
Bailey, J., Farquhar, C., Owen, C., et. al. (2003). Sexual Behaviour of Lesbians and Bisexual Women. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 79, 147-150.
Doi: 10.1136/sti.79.2.147
Castleman, M. (2013). “Hysteria” and the Strange History of Vibrators. All About Sex. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201303/hysteria-and-the-strange-history-vibrators
Christina, E. (2011). The Book of Kink: Sex Beyond The Missionary. New York, New York: Penguin.
Denning, B. (2012). The Safety Dance: Sex Toy Safety for a New Generation. Kinsey Confidential. Retrieved from http://kinseyconfidential.org/safety-dance-sex-toy-safety-generation/
Dodge, B., Fortenberry, D., Ghassemi, A., Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Sanders, S., (2009). Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women in the United States: Results from a Nationally Represented Study. International Society for Sexual Medicine, 1-10 doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01318.x
Herbenick, D., Novak D., Reece M., Rosenberger J., Schick V., (2012). Sex Toy Use by Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 449-458. doi: 10.1007/s10508-010-9716-y
Kaufman, M., Odette, F., Silverberg, C., (2003). The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability. San Fransico, California: Cleis Press Inc.,
Seale, A. (2013). Diverting Dildos. Alternatives Journal, 39(5), 40-41.
Sex Toy Materials. (n.d.). Come As You Are. Retrieved from http://www.comeasyouare.com/sex-information/sex-toy-materials/
Stabile, E. (2013). Getting the Government in Bed: How to Regulate the Sex-Toy Industry. Berkeley Journal Of Gender, Law & Justice, 28(2), 161-184.

References: Bailey, J., Farquhar, C., Owen, C., et. al. (2003). Sexual Behaviour of Lesbians and Bisexual Women. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 79, 147-150. Christina, E. (2011). The Book of Kink: Sex Beyond The Missionary. New York, New York: Penguin. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01318.x Herbenick, D., Novak D., Reece M., Rosenberger J., Schick V., (2012) doi: 10.1007/s10508-010-9716-y Kaufman, M., Odette, F., Silverberg, C., (2003) Seale, A. (2013). Diverting Dildos. Alternatives Journal, 39(5), 40-41.