It’s all fun and games until you’re running to the emergency room to get some help, while awkwardly oversharing your sex toy story. I wish this was made up. Sadly, the judging looks I got from the nurses hit hard, and the story holds a special place in my personal portfolio of sexual awkwardness. 

Anyway, my ER experiences aside, if you’re planning to include adult sex toys in your sex life, safety should be your #1 priority.  I know it’s a challenge because I mean come on, who’s thinking about safety when you’re on the verge of your fourth orgasm with The Rabbitt, for example? You are, that’s who. You don’t want to be that person at the ER.

This is one of the most sensitive parts in our bodies – safety is of course, paramount. 

Signs Of Troublesome Sex Toys 

You can’t be too careful with these, but you need to know what to look for and what to avoid: 

Low Prices

low quality cheap sex toy

I know, a low price doesn’t always mean bad quality, but in terms of using a sex toy, it means exactly that, 99% of the time. 

The production of sex toys is not regulated by the FDA. This allows manufacturers to use many cheap materials that can be quite harmful while you’re having some innocent fun. 

When it comes to adult sex toys, it’s better to invest in a high-end brand with a good reputation in the industry – a brand consistently transparent about its products. 

Also, read online reviews – there are many qualified insights already online. Some of these are paid, so make sure to crowdsource your reviews to get a realistic image.

One more thing – if the instructions are not clear or worse, the company sends you a dildo without a set of instructions, that’s a giant red flag right there. Do you really want to use a sex toy that came from a manufacturer who didn’t bother to give you some more details? I don’t think so, and neither should you! 

Harmful Materials

body safe materials for sex toys

Another negative side effect of the non-existent FDA approval? 

Sex toys are labeled as ‘novelty’ products – meaning you can only watch them, not use them. 

The irony. 

Well, manufacturers use this fact as a Catch 22, as they aren’t legally obligated to tell you what materials they use when creating sex toys. Here are some of the materials that can cause serious health problems: 

  • Phthalates

Phthalates are what makes dildos flexible. But this product is banned for use in children’s toys production, as it’s linked to reproductive health issues, ADHD, asthma, etc. 

Even if the package says phthalate-free, check the ingredients. Better to be safe than sorry!

  • Porosity 

If a product is porous, it means that liquids can get stuck in it. You certainly don’t want that in your women’s sex toys, and porous toys can’t be sterilized. The most common porous materials are rubber and jelly, and they’re quite popular in this industry.

If you decide to use a porous toy, use a condom, but otherwise, search for other, non-porous alternatives. 

  • PVC

PVC contains phthalate, and even though it’s one of the most used materials, it’s not good for your reproductive health. Putting window material up your pussy isn’t the healthiest thing ever, who would have thought!

Just make sure to do thorough research on the materials before buying and using a sex toy. 

Women’s Sex Toys Are Not Multifunctional 

Using an anal toy for the vagina? Well, if you’re trying to end up in the ER room, then this might be the right way. 

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but it’s the truth. Anal toys are for the anus only as they’re designed with a stopper and are generally smaller than other adult sex toys. Don’t find yourself in a situation to lose this toy inside of your vagina just because you were curious to see how it would work. 

Short answer: it won’t, not nearly as well as in the anus.

Also, don’t switch the toy from the vagina to the anus and vise versa. If you’re using a condom, change the condom. If you’re not, clean the toy before switching – the risk of getting infections and bacteria from the anus is too high to wing this. 

Low Hygiene 

clean sex toy

This one is a real mood killer. You would be surprised by how many women don’t clean their toys. 

Adam&Eve.com, one of the most famous toy providers in the world, did a study on sex toys. 

A whopping 28% of the female responders have answered that they never clean their toys – ugh! Please clean your toys ladies – leaving dirty toys around is medically unsafe, not to mention disgusting. 

There are two ways to clean your toys: 

  • Cleaning according to the material and
  • Cleaning according to the batteries used by the toy.

Either way, you should use a cleaner made specifically for cleaning sex toys. As long as the toy doesn’t have any electrical elements, you can use very hot water too. 

Silicone toys need to boil for at least 10 minutes before being cleaned. For silicone, glass, plastic, and pyrex, soap and water are enough – but take your time while cleaning! If you want to use bleach on silicone, you can, but please make sure to wash it thoroughly afterwards – you don’t want bleach on your lady parts.

Like with any other product in the house – if you take care of it, it will last longer. 

Be Careful With The Shape Of The Dildo 

Just because something is presented as a dildo doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. Every woman is different, but the insides of our vaginas are very sensitive and don’t even get me started on the anus. Unless you have other, more extreme preferences, look for toys with standard size and shape. 

You don’t want anything too sharp or too rough inside you. Although we women can give birth to human beings, when it comes to women’s sex toys, keep the roughness to a minimum. Otherwise, you risk internal damage which can cause a plethora of reproductive problems – and no one needs that. 

Educate Yourself Before Playing With Yourself

It’s all about taking some time to learn about safely using a sex toy. I know it may be a bummer to know you need to do homework before anal, but if you take some time to learn about the safety of your food and drinks, why not do it for your sex toys too? The benefits are stellar.

At the end of the day, the number of orgasms you can have is endless, but your vagina is only one – and she deserves only the best!

Stay smart.

Stay sexy.

Stay Devine.