Sex toys are used in many bedrooms during sex. And many men like them because they provide additional stimulation. And can bring variety to lovemaking, which can sometimes become routine. If you want to buy these helpful, pleasurable toys, you should always choose a material that is safe for your health. Dildos, plugs and other love toys are made of many different materials, some of which can be quite dangerous. In this article, you will learn which sex toy materials you should be careful with.
Take care: hardly any legal regulations for sex toy materials
In fact, there are only a few regulations in Germany regarding permitted or prohibited materials for love toys. However, regulations would make sense here, since sex toys come into contact with the most intimate parts of the body. Nevertheless, until now, there have been no official guidelines for their quality safety. In recent years, efforts have been stepped up to ensure greater safety. One result is the international standard “ISO 3533:2021”. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) published this safety standard for the quality of sex toys in 2021.
It contains specifications for the safety of sex toys that come into direct contact with the genitals and/or anus. The specifications contained in the standard relate not only to mechanics, electrics and vibration, but also in particular to the materials used. The aim is to increase general safety. And to provide you as a user of sex toys with all the necessary user information.
Sex toys made of rubber compounds, with plasticisers
Studies can be helpful when evaluating sex toy materials. For example, scientific studies came to the conclusion that numerous sex toys made of jelly or rubber mixtures with PVC (also known as vinyl), TPE, TPR or latex contain so-called phthalates. These are plasticisers that are classified as harmful because they can, for example, leak out of the material and collect in the body.
Phthalates are capable of disrupting hormone balance and are also suspected of affecting reproductive ability. In addition, a link between plasticisers and breast cancer has been established. Norwegian studies have also postulated a link between plasticisers and asthma. The EU has since banned phthalates from children’s toys, cosmetics and food packaging. But their use in sex toys has not yet been banned.
Other rubber material variants that should not be used in sex toys due to the plasticisers they contain are polyethylene, SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene). Or SEBS as well as EPDM (ethylene-proylene-diene-monomer rubber).
Latex is also known as rubber, is extracted from the milky sap of trees and is considered the rubber that was first used by humans. Today, it is also used in sex toys to make them softer and is used in dildos, for example. The problem is that the body’s own oils or lubricants can break it down. Which is why sex toys such as dildos or plugs made from this material usually don’t last long. Especially for people who are allergic to latex, there is a high risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction occurring on contact. So if you suffer from a latex allergy, make sure when buying sex toys that they do not contain latex. It’s best to choose toys from well-known manufacturers with good reviews.
Non-toxic but still pleasurable sex toys
A sex toy does not necessarily have to contain toxic substances to still be safe. For example, sex toys made of porous materials are considered non-toxic but still risky. The glass toy, which is popular with many people, should also be chosen carefully. The risk with them is that the material is not properly hardened and could therefore be explosive.
Sex toys made of porous materials include toys made of thermoplastic rubber and thermoplastic elastomer. Many sex toys are still made of porous rubber polymers. Which are inexpensive but can also be highly toxic or break down easily. Mixed elastomer materials also prove to be porous in many cases. However, unpolished stone dildos can also be porous and cause injury.
The main problem with porous materials is that the often microscopic pores are not visible to the naked eye. But they are still large enough for bacteria or other harmful substances to settle deep beneath the surface. Experts often compare the properties of porous materials to those of a sponge. Which is why the toy is so dangerous.
You can try as hard as you like to clean it after use. It is simply not 100 per cent cleanable. Sperm, fluids, lube and other dust or dirt collect in porous sex toys. Because they cannot be removed properly, sex toys made of porous materials always carry a high health risk of recurring bacterial infections. In this context, you should not underestimate the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. This is especially true if you share a sex toy with a sex partner.
Sex toys with pleasurable shapes
If you ask doctors in emergency rooms of hospitals, it quickly becomes clear that many men use objects as sex toys that are more than unsuitable for this purpose. For example because of their shape. Studies have shown that about 78 per cent of all injuries are caused by foreign bodies in the anal area. Interestingly, 95 percent of the patients asking for help were men and only 41 percent of the objects found were sex toys.
Dangerous shapes are usually anal toys, which can get stuck in the rectum during use due to their shape or even size. If they get stuck, it is almost always necessary to go to an emergency room to have them removed. Rectal injuries are the most commonly documented injuries associated with sex toys.
When using sex toys anally, make sure they are as easy to pull out as they are to insert. And that they have no surface structures that could interfere with removal from the anus. Anything that has any kind of barbs or whose shape prevents a secure grip is not suitable for insertion into the anal area.
Processing electric sex toys
For all lovers of electric toys, the first rule should be to check the workmanship of a newly purchased sex toy of this type before using it for the first time. Poor workmanship or inferior materials can lead to unwanted electric shocks if, for example, the wiring is not done correctly or insulation has been forgotten. The batteries should also be checked regularly to make sure they have not leaked, for example. Only buy such sex toys from well-known brands or dealers and avoid cheap offers, e.g. from China.
These materials for sex toys are considered safe
After these rather inappropriate explanations of risky or even dangerous materials for sex toys, it is only right and proper to give you a few tips at the end about which materials for sex toys are considered safe. Along with the advice to make sure that you only use sex toys that will give you a pleasurable experience rather than harm your health, here are some tips on materials. When it comes to sex toys, toys made of 100% silicone or medical silicone, toys made of borosilicate glass, stainless steel or polished metal, and sex toys made of high-quality, non-working wood or ceramics are especially important.
If you do use sex toys that are considered risky because of the chemicals used, you should always protect yourself with condoms that you roll over the sex toys. This prevents harmful phthalates from getting into your body, protects you from germs on porous toy materials and if you use latex-free condoms, you can also protect yourself from allergic shock when using sex toys that contain latex.
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