Pacer Pillow-talk: You're never too old for toys

Remember when adults would tell you “you’re too old for toys?” Yeah, they lied.

For this week’s edition of Pacer Pillowtalk I wanted to talk to you about sex toys. 

They’re fun, easy ways to make everything from masturbation to more taboo sexual scenarios more enjoyable. However, a lot of people feel shame about using them for a number of reasons.

The stigma around sex toys comes from a variety of factors, from feeling that sex toys are impersonal to being resistant to talking about sex toy use with partners.

The fact of the matter is that in surveys of sex toy use, half of all respondents use sex toys regularly for solo and partnered sex.

This means that the shame and doubt that many of us experience around sex toys is unfounded. 

Studies have shown that many women have difficulty reaching orgasm with penetration alone.

Generally, many women surveyed said that clitoral stimulation made it easier to reach orgasm or made their orgasms better and vibrators or other toys are very effective for many women to that end.

Using toys is nothing to be ashamed of, and using them with partners can make a good time even better.

An important thing to note when buying sex toys is that they are currently unregulated by any official governing body.

So, you should do your research about what kinds of materials went into the making of something you may put inside or very near to your genitals, especially when shopping online.

One of the common materials in sex toys made of jelly rubber is something called phthalates, which the EPA has classified as a possible cancer-causing carcinogen.

Jelly rubber and PVC toys (like those produced by some low-cost overseas manufacturers) are also made from porous materials.

This means that viruses and infection-causing bacteria can hide in microscopic holes on your toys, making them impossible to fully clean. 

The materials in your sex toys can be hard to research depending on the popularity (or lack) of an individual toy, but materials like steel, glass, and medical-grade silicone are good, body-safe choices that won’t harm your health or give bacteria a place to hide.

There is an unbelievable variety of sex toys. There are toys of all shapes, sizes, firmnesses, colors, functions, features, and vibrational intensities.

I haven’t even touched on toys specifically designed for people with penises, but rest assured that there’s more than just the Fleshlight out there for them too.

Using sex toys with your partner doesn’t mean that they aren’t adequate to fulfill your needs, and using them when you’re alone shouldn’t feel shameful either. We can all have better, more fulfilling sex lives by using toys.

Remember that you’re never too old to play with toys, and have a good sex life!