Sex Toys Penetrate the Sexual Wellness Arena

This Sexplorations column by Anka Radakovich originally ran in the May 2018 issue of AVN magzine. Click here for the digital edition. Medical device companies and sex toy manufacturers are probing the sexual wellness space, with products that go beyond kegel balls to improve women’s sexual health as they improve their sex lives. Although there is no such thing as a “bad” orgasm, these devices turn the big O into the OMG! From ‘O’ to ‘OMG’ Science meets sex in an ingenious medical device called Intensity by Pour Moi. Invented by In Control Medical, a medical device company, it was originally created for patients who suffered from urinary incontinence after childbirth or surgery. But soon after patients started using it, they noticed its “vaginal toning” and tightening effects. They also discovered the device had an unexpected side effect: intense orgasms! Who doesn’t want that as a medical “side effect”? The invention works by specifically targeting the Kegel muscles in the pelvic floor, mildy zapping the muscles with an electrical pulse from the smooth metal panels inside. It pinpoints where the pubococcygeus muscles actually are, so a woman is not just working out her lower abs or butt muscles instead. The pulses target those. The Intensity is intense. And the rabbit clitoral vibrator on top works double duty to give her pleasure while the gizmo gives the muscles inside her hoo-ha a good workout. It takes a few weeks to see an improvement, but women who have tried it say their orgasms are stronger, deeper, and last longer. “Intensity strengthens pelvic floor muscles quickly and efficiently in the privacy of your home,” says Pour Moi, alleviating “stress incontinence”—bladder leakage when you laugh, sneeze, cough, or exercise. Good news for anyone who wants to jump rope or yuk it up without peeing themselves. The Smart Way to Kegel Like a personal trainer for a woman’s pelvic floor, the “Kegel Smart” from Intimina takes all the guesswork out of doing kegels. And it does all the work. Dr. Monica Sophocles, a gynecologist and spokesperson for the company, says, “One in three women experience pelvic floor issues sometime in their lifetime.” The KegelSmart can help, she says, “if you are recovering from childbirth, you are at the age of menopause, or if you do high-impact sports like running or CrossFit.” As someone who started doing CrossFit again, I could have used one of these things when I almost peed myself when the Nazi trainer made me do 100 box jumps. “Unfortunately,” says Dr. Sophocles, “women start to do kegels and after they don’t get results they quickly become disappointed.” The KegelSmart “coaches your kegels.” The exerciser works by tracking your progress in five levels, tracking it right on the device each time you use it, so you know if it’s working. As the user progresses, results include tighter lady bits and better orgasms. All the user has to do it contract when it vibrates and rest when it stops. “Just turn it on and insert,” they say. Sorta like a penis. The company smartly markets the product to athletes and runners, which extends the market to all ages of women. The company also has expanded its reach to the mainstream market by selling the device at large drug stores like CVS and Walgreens, whose tagline is at the “corner of healthy and happy,” but with this thing it’s now at the corner of healthy and a happy ending. Sex After Breast Cancer As many as 50 to 90 percent of women who have had breast cancer report sexual issues including vaginal dryness, decreasing physical comfort during intercourse, and weak pelvic floor muscles. CalExotics teamed with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), a nonprofit dedicated to educating women about the sexual after-effects of breast cancer treatments. The CalExotics “Inspire” line addressed these issues with sexual wellness products including Kegel exercises, arousers, wands, a vaginal dilator kit (for decreased vaginal flexibility), breast massager (for sore breasts), and an intimate teaser. Products were developed after researching what women identified as their most common sexual problems post breast cancer recovery. Jean A. Sachs, CEO of LBBC, says, “Living Beyond Breast Cancer hopes that the Inspire line drives awareness and discussion of the sexual side effects.” The line was designed by women for women. “The positive effects of taking care of one’s sexual health are well-documented and these products will help support women as they rebuild their sexual selves going forward,” said Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of CalExotics. To learn more about Inspire, visit CalExotics.com. To learn more about LBBC, visit LBBC.org.relationships. Above, the Kegel Smart and the Inspire collection from CalExotics