Wellness, pleasure, confidence, and excitement are a few of the many words we might use to describe our growing love affair with sex toys—wouldn’t you say?
With more and more people understanding and embracing the benefits of prioritizing sexual health, the sex toy market in the U.S. alone has reached a value of 80.7 billion dollars in 2023. Moreover, the growing inclusivity of queer sex toys and of sex toys for persons with disabilities has revolutionized how pleasure is understood and experienced. This decreasing stigma along with the increase in accessibility of sex toys have all helped put to a pin in our calendars to celebrate National Sex Toy Day on November 4th each year. The very existence of such a day is a divine reminder of self-love, care, pleasure, and body autonomy.
A Brief Sex Toy History Lesson
History is filled with wars, medicines, cinema, science—and well, sex toys. From the prehistoric age to the Renaissance to the 21st century, sex toys have been a part of human life longer than what you’ve likely been told. However, the term “sex toy” originated more recently, to provide a more inclusive and broader expression for sexual pleasure.
When discussing the history of sex toys, it is inevitable that we mention the ancient Greeks! Sexual pleasure was an important aspect of early Greek life and in no way, shape, or form did they make an effort to hide that. Artwork from the Hellenistic period depicts the use of sexual objects—made out of leather and clay—to help enhance their sexual experiences. I mean, talk about having fun!
Furthermore, the oldest stone phallus—discovered by a German archeologist dates back to 28,000 BCE. Most of these phallic-shaped objects were made out of bones and stones and were speculated to be used as dildos or fertility ritual aids. In the 5th century BCE, Hippocrates treated sexual distress in women by rubbing their genitals to help them relieve stress with an orgasm. This same trend later gave birth to vibrators as medical devices in the Victorian Era, used to treat women’s hysteria. Who knew the treatment for hysteria could turn into a celebration of female orgasms?
Looking After Your Sex Toys
Now that it’s the 21st century and you are able to unapologetically buy yourself a variety of sex toys, you have to learn to take care of them. Firstly, make sure you’re buying your toys from official and secure brands and websites. As most of the sex toy market exists online, you have to make sure you’re only looking at popular recommended sites to prevent any scams. This further guarantees long-running quality products!
Hygiene is the third lover between you and your sex toy that you simply cannot forget about. The first rule of owning and sharing sex toys is to clean them before and after use every single time. There are a lot of specific cleaners and techniques available online that can help properly clean the toys. Also, be mindful of what you’re cleaning the different types of toys with. For instance, do not wash your toys that run on batteries or electricity under running water. Instead, simply clean using a wet wipe. If you do find your toy’s function deteriorating after a few tries, it might be time to discard it.
Finally, it is very common to use lube on sex toys to prune uncomfortable friction and maximize pleasure and a smooth-sailing playtime. Thus, know which lube to pair with which sex toy. Water-based lube is often recommended to be used with almost all kinds of toys as it is the easiest to wash off and it doesn’t affect the quality of the toys. For instance, using silicone-based lube on silicone toys can ruin their condition over time. And importantly: some STIs are transmissible through sex toys if shared with other lovers, so don’t forget to sterilize them if you can. Safer sex rules apply here too.
The developments in the sex toy industry, including AI advancements, have opened up new avenues for sexual expression and pleasure. As we move forward to spread more sex-positive information, we also want to take a step back and enjoy some well-deserved playtime with our darling toys. So, get your toys out of those drawers, set the mood, and enjoy yourself this National Sex Toy Day!
Written by Shreya Tomar.
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