Tag: sex toys equipment and uses

The phallic playthings dangle along the back wall of Lovers. Lined up on a shelf, their sparkly glitter insides shine through the thick layer of packaging, but something more sinister is also lurking in the sexy line up of jelly rubber dildos, vibrators and anal beads.

MissBonnie

You’re probably hearing or reading a lot lately about jelly-rubber sex toys and their health risks. While they are usually less expensive and many people like the silky feel and flesh-like responsiveness of these toys, you should be very aware of the down-side. Ongoing studies have shown that there are genuine concerns with using these items. Jelly-rubber contains phthalates. (Thall-ates), are porous, and extremely difficult to properly clean after use. Most experts recommend using condom or condom-like coverings over phthalate-based sex toys.

Without getting too technical, phthalates are chemical compounds used to increase flexibility. They’re used to turn hard plastic into what’s described as jelly-rubber. One of the first indications that this is an unstable combination came about when after repeated use, people noticed their sex toys made of this substance began to fragment and discolor after only a few months. Another problem is that jelly-rubber is porous. That means fluids and bacteria can be absorbed and transmitted through toy use. In other words, jelly-rubber sex toys can be “carriers” of STDs and other harmful diseases and health conditions. Still another issue is that jelly-rubber sex toys are mass produced — like “cheap novelties” — in countries which often have very lax manufacturing codes and inspection conditions.

Most sex toy manufacturers and retailers have responded to these serious concerns by emphasizing their non-phthalate based products and producing educational materials about the dangers inherent in jelly-rubber items. No official regulations, however, have been adopted to prevent the sale of phthalate-based toys, so it’s still a buyer beware situation. Other porous and phthalate-based materials used in sex toys include Cyberskin and soft vinyl. Elastomer, while phthalate-free, is semi-porous and cannot be adequately cleaned. Even silicone mix products may contain phthalates. All of these items should be covered by a condom when used.

Does this mean you should immediately throw out all your phthalate-based sex toys?

Not necessarily. It DOES mean that you should be aware of the risks involved and that your ’safe sex’ practices should include replacing them when they begin to show ‘use fatigue’ and always covering them with a condom when in use.

Smart shoppers are already showing a marked preference for non-phthalate-based and non-porous sex toys. There is a wider variety now available and manufacturers are aware of the demand. Pure silicone, such as VixSkin, Lucite, acrylic, glass, and metal toys can be cleaned and disinfected and will outlast their cheaper counterparts. Your health is worth it!

Article: MissBonnie and MissBitch for The Beginner’s Guide to Vibrators © CollarNcuffs.com

Many, many thank yous to Cle-Andria for her help with images, allowing us to destroy her shop shelves in the name of kink, and her wealth of information.

There is a lot of pressure to be sexual in the “right” way, and some people feel like they should use a vibrator. The fact is that you can have an incredible sex life without vibrators or sex toys at all. That said, using vibrators is a completely healthy (and potentially pleasure inducing) way to explore your sexuality.

There are as many reasons to use a vibrator as there are reasons to feel good.

Here are some of the most common reasons people play with vibrators:

• Curiosity:Sexual curiosity is healthy; wanting to try a vibrator is reason enough to try one.
• Self-discovery: Particularly for those of us who have never been given the opportunity or permission to explore being sexual, vibrators can be a great way to explore your body. When using a vibrator by yourself you can start exploring yourself, your sensations (both physical and emotional) and reactions in a relatively safe environment.
• To “spice up” a long term sexual relationship:Vibrators can shake things up (literally and figuratively) in a long term relationship if sex has become routine or exploration has fizzled out.
• To experience orgasm for the first time: For many people, especially women, who never or rarely experience orgasm, vibration can be the fastest and easiest way to discover their orgasmic potential.
• For extra stimulation that you can’t add on your own:Many people aren’t able to stimulate themselves the way they want to.
• Chronic ‘bad styled’ pain, disability, and fatigue don’t stop you from feeling pleasure, but vibrators can sometimes make it easier to get there.
• For fun:For the most part the reason we all use, or consider using, vibrators is the same: because it’s pleasurable. Pleasure, however you define it, is pretty close to a universal desire
• Pressure:This is NOT a good reason to use toys, but it’s why some people do.

»»Whether your partner is well meaning or not, if you’re being pressured to try using a vibrator it won’t work, and it shows a lack of respect of your boundaries. Vibrators are ultimately about feeling pleasure, and you can’t force someone to experience pleasure, because experiencing pleasure is in some ways an expression of free will. Everyone has the right to say no to using a vibrator, just as we all have the right to say no to any kind of sex play at any time.MissBonnie

The increasing visibility of vibrators in mainstream media, and in retail stores that don’t specialize in sex toys is bringing some people to my door asking the question, how many people really use vibrators?

Until recently there hasn’t been much reliable research on vibrator use. The people who collect most of the information about vibrator use tend to be, not surprisingly, the people who are trying to sell us more vibrators. These surveys are always tied to some form of marketing and methodologies are rarely described in detail.

In 2009 Michael Reece and Debra Herbenick, along with colleagues at Indiana University published to surveys of vibrator use which offered a much more reliable and detailed look into the hows and whys of vibrator use. Their findings are below. Beneath their findings I’ve included the numbers from earlier research some of which amounts to no more than marketing material but others represent serious study on vibrator use.

Overall Reece and Herbenick found that just under 50% of respondents reported using a vibrator at some point, with slightly more women (52%) than men (45%) reporting vibrator use.

When Do You Use Vibrators?

Women reported using vibrators most during masturbation (46%) and least during intercourse (37%). Men were most likely to use vibrators with a partner during “sex play or foreplay” (40%). Only 17% of men reported using a vibrator for masturbation. The paper on men reported on reasons for first using a vibrator, and the most common one men gave (67%) was “for fun”. 40% of men said they used one to help a partner with orgasms, and 7% said they used it to help themselves to have an orgasm.

Vibrator Use and Sexual Function

The researchers compared vibrator users and non-vibrator users on several measures of sexual functioning (asking questions about things like erectile function, intercourse satisfaction, pain, orgasm, lubrication, and sexual desire). Overall men and women who used vibrators reported fewer problems with sexual function. And people who used vibrators more recently (the past month) responded to surveys in a way that indicated fewer problems with sexual function.

Vibrator Use and Other Healthy Behaviors

Both men and women who use vibrators were more likely to do things that indicate a comfort with their bodies and an interest in taking care of themselves. Women who had ever used a vibrator were more likely than those who had never used a vibrator to have had a gynecologic exam in the past year and performed a genital self-examine in the past month. Men who reported performing testicular self-exams within the past moth were more likely to have used a vibrator.

Sex Toy Cleaning

The good news is that the majority of men and women do clean their vibrators. The bad news is that some don’t (20% of men and 14% of women report never cleaning their toys). Of those who do clean, habits could still improve. 60% of women and 53% of men report cleaning their toy before and after use, with the rest either cleaning before or after. It’s not clear if they asked this, but what I’d be most interested in knowing is whether or not they cleaned the toy before first use, something that I think a lot of people overlook but it important considering the serious lack of hygiene in most sex toy factories.

Side Effects of Vibrator Use

The researchers only reported on women’s responses to questions about negative side effects of vibrator use. They asked women about genital numbness, pain, irritation, swelling (the bad kind) and tears or cuts.
Here are the findings:

• 71.5% of women never experienced any side effects.
• 16% reported numbness
• 3% reported pain
• 10% reported irritation
• 8% reported swelling
• 1% reported tears or cuts

In all cases, those who reported negative side effects judged them to be relatively short lived and minor in severity.

How Common Is Vibrator Use

Previous to 2009 most statistics suggested between 20-27% of people had used a vibrator at some point in their lives. Some examples of survey research include:

• In Shere Hite’s famous survey (1976), only 1% of respondents said they had ever used a vibrator
• In a 2006 Elle/MSNBC.com survey 40% of respondents said they had used a vibrator.
• In a 1996 survey of Swedish women aged 18 to 74, 19% of respondents said they had used a sex toy by themselves, and 15% said they had used a sex toy with a partner.
• Younger repondents were more likely to have used a sex toy, with 30% of women 25 to 34 reporting having used a sex toy.

Age of First Vibrator Use

Two surveys that have asked this got very similar results:

• 15 to 17% were under 20 years old when they first tried a vibrator
• 50% were in their 20s
• 22 to 27% were in their 30s
• 8 to 10% were 40 and older

Vibrator Use by Gender

In the two surveys that compared vibrator use between men and women, women were more likely to use vibrators:

• One study found that 33% of female respondents versus 20% of male respondents used vibrators
• Another study found that the numbers were 24% for women and 21% for men.

What else about people who use vibrators?

Here are some random statistics from the surveys listed below:

• Most studies found that vibrator users were overwhelmingly white.
• Most studies found that vibrator users were predominantly in their thirties.
• According to Xandria Collection’s Toys in the Sheets survey, the most common vibrator user was a white Christian married woman, in her thirties, who votes Republican.
• According to the Durex global sex survey Australia has the highest vibrator use reported (46%) and India has the lowest (3%). The US is up there at 45%.
• Women in relationships are more likely to use a vibrator than women who are single.

Article: MissBonnie and MissBitch for The Beginner’s Guide to Vibrators © CollarNcuffs.com

Many, many thank yous to Cle-Andria for her help with images, allowing us to destroy her shop shelves in the name of kink, and her wealth of information. Sources:
1.Berman Center/Drugstore.com survey “The Health Benefits of Sexual Aids & Devices: A Comprehensive Study of their Relationship to Satisfaction and Quality of Life. Unpublished, 2004.
2.Castleman, M. & Lawrence Research Group. Toys in the Sheets. 1999. Accessed on Xandria.com September 12, 2006.
3.Davis, Clive M.; Blank, Joani; Lin, Hung-Yu. “Characteristics of Vibrator Use Among Women.” The Journal of Sex Research Vol. 33, No. 4 (1996).
4.Elle/MSNBC.com reader sex survey, 2006. Accessed on MSNBC.com, September 12, 2006.
5.Fugl-Meyer, K.S., Öberg, K., Lundberg,P.O., et al. “On Orgasm, Sexual Techniques, and Erotic Perceptions in 18- to 74-Year-Old Swedish Women” Journal of Sexual Medicine Volume 3, No. 1, (2006):56-68.
6.Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Sanders, S.A., et. al. “Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Study” Journal of Sexual Medicine Early View, Date: June 2009. Accessed June 1, 2009.
7.Hite, S. The Hite Report New York: Macmillan, 1976.
8.Levin, R. J., & Levin, A. Sexual Pleasure: The Surprising Preferences of 100,000 Women. Redbook Magazine, September, 1975.
9.Reece, M., Herbenick, D., Sanders, S.A., et. al. “Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Men in the United States” Journal of Sexual Medicine Early View, Date: May 2009. Accessed May 31, 2009.
10.Wolfe, L. The Cosmo Report. New York: Arbor House, 1981.

A condition called Female Hysteria and lazy doctors: is the short reply:

Until it was finally laid to rest the mid-20th century, female hysteria was a favored diagnosis for physicians for a litany of symptoms. As you’d guess from its vernacular, female hysteria was a condition which afflicted women exclusively. Symptoms of this dread disease included anxiety, crying fits, surliness, faintness, nervousness, insomnia, fluid retention, heaviness in the abdomen, muscle spasms, shortness of breath, irritability and a loss of appetite for food. and any behavior that a Victorian-era husband would find improper from his wife. In 1859, it was claimed that a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria. This number makes sense if you consider that there was a 75-page catalog with possible symptoms, and that this list was seen as incomplete.

Dating from Plato’s dialogs, female hysteria was assumed to be caused by the womb roving around within a woman’s body, mucking up the works. Galen, famed physician of the 2nd century, was the first to trip onto the notion that this might have something to do with female sexual satisfaction. He noted that deprivation of orgasm among healthy women brought on classic female hysteria symptoms, noting that pelvic massage often brought about beneficial results in the patient.

Not a big surprise; a good orgasm can do wonders for your day: MissBitch

Early treatments for female hysteria revolved around female hysteria massage; allowing the patient to achieve female sexual satisfaction was the goal of pelvic massage, but such blunt talk about orgasm wasn’t bandied about in a proper gentlemanly doctor’s office. By performing an effective female hysteria massage manually, the physician would bring his patient to orgasm, and the dreaded malady would be kept at bay—until it was time for the next treatment. Female hysteria was a gold mine. It wasn’t fatal, and early treatments for female hysteria such as pelvic massage had to be repeated frequently for the good of the patient. Still, achieving female sexual satisfaction through a pelvic massage performed by hand might be all fine and good for the patient, but it was a time-consuming process for doctors. A proper female hysteria massage required quite a bit of stamina as well. There had to be a better procedure to add to the early treatments for female hysteria—one that was effective in bringing the patient to orgasm and one that could do the job quickly and easily.

The solution? Vibrators

The earliest vibrators were a far cry from the sleek, streamlined sex toys commonplace in the bedroom today. These truly monstrous devices, they weren’t anything that women would be likely to turn to for female sexual satisfaction today. There were hydrotherapeutic models that dispensed huge jets of water aimed straight toward the clitoris at an alarming rate, but they were guaranteed by their manufacturers to offer all of the therapeutic benefits of a manual pelvic massage in a fraction of the time.

As long as the patient didn’t mind looking like a drowned rat following the treatment, all was good.

MissBonnie

plain and simple the modern vibrators were created as labor-saving devices for the treatment of female hysteria. To the Victorian-era male, women were frail, flighty creatures, subject to strange mental and emotional afflictions. The treatment was pelvic massage to induce orgasm, and many physicians found it strenuous and unnecessarily time-consuming. Surely there was a less strenuous way

You’ve got to use your hand to bring a woman to orgasm? Horrors. Oh you poor, poor boy!

MissBitch

Enterprising engineers came to the rescue with vibrators.

George Taylor’s steam powered vibrators were perhaps the first patented mechanical vibrating devices. The first electromechanical vibrator was designed in 1880 by a British physician, Joseph Mortimer Granville. Although his model more closely resembled what we think of as a vibrator, Granville did not support the use of vibrating devices for inducing female orgasm. He intended it to be used to massage male skeletal muscles.

However, the technology proved to be completely adaptable.

Then, in 1902, the American company Hamilton Beach patented the first electric vibrator available for retail sale, making the vibrator the fifth domestic appliance to be electrified, after the sewing machine, fan, tea kettle, and toaster, and about a decade before the vacuum cleaner and electric iron.

Advertisements for electric vibrators and battery vibrators were common within the pages of contemporary women’s magazines such as Needlecraft, Woman’s Home Companion, Modern Priscilla. Vibrators were marketed as therapeutic aids, and no mention of the sexually stimulating properties of the new electric vibrators and battery vibrators were mentioned in the advertising copy. Still, while many men still clung to beliefs that women were above sexual desires and feelings, women of the era eagerly used the many types of vibrators available to experience what they weren’t getting from their marriages.

Vibrators’ time in the sun came to a crashing halt with the widespread distribution of stag films in the 1920s. The frequent appearances of many types of vibrators in the explicit action stigmatized vibrators, which were now associated with loose morals. Electric vibrators and battery vibrators disappeared from mainstream America for around four decades.

Then came the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Vibrators made their way into adult bookstores, electric vibrators and battery vibrators were sold through mail-order outlets, and as time passed and sex toys became relatively mainstream, various and sundry types of vibrators became readily available and the sheer breadth and variety of their functions expanded dramatically. Sex toy consumers can choose from the traditional phallic vibrators, dual-action vibrators which concurrently stimulate the vagina and clitoris, g-spot vibrators to reach and stimulate the g-spot reliably, p-spot vibrators to perform the same function for the prostate, and discrete vibrators that look anything like a sex toy. Today’s vibrators can be set to any speed and intensity the user might desire, and almost all types of vibrators have remote control capability. Because we consumer giants just love anything and everything remote controlled, especially if the remote has a zillion buttons. Vibrators have regained their day in the sun, and we seem to be a lot happier for it

Where can I see or buy antique vibrators?

The Antique Vibrator and Quack Medical Museum is a private collection that can be viewed online. Antique vibrators are often on sale on eBay, and may be available through antique dealers who trade in small appliances.

Resource Article : MissBonnie and MissBitch for The Beginner’s Guide to Vibrators © CollarNcuffs.com

Reference Sources:
The Technology of Orgasm: “Hysteria,” the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction by Rachel P. Maines
“Sex Toy History” by Michael Castleman
“The Technology of Orgasm and the Vibrator” by Natalie Angier. Maines, Rachel P. (1998).
The Technology of Orgasm: “Hysteria”, the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-6646-4.\\  Micale, Mark S. (1993). “On the “Disappearance” of Hysteria: A Study in the Clinical Deconstruction of a Diagnosis” Micale, Mark S. (July 2000).
“The Decline of Hysteria”. Harvard Mental Health Letter 17 (1): 4–6.


Article: MissBonnie and MissBitch for The Beginner’s Guide to Vibrators © CollarNcuffs.com

Many, many thank yous to Cle-Andria for her help with images, allowing us to destroy her shop shelves in the name of kink, and her wealth of information.

What is CyberSkin®?

CyberSkin® is unquestionably the most realistic material on the market. Quickly warming to body temperature and mimicking the elasticity and softness of human flesh, CyberSkin® has the amazing look and feel of real skin. This material in its many shapes and forms is a stunning replication of the human composition.

Flexible, spring-like bonds promoting a unique skin-like texture, memory recovery, resiliency and flexibility.

In the physical make-up of CyberSkin®, the atoms bond with high resiliency. This means that the atomic memory of CyberSkin® allows the product to be malleable, like real flesh, as well as instantly recover to its original shape. Because it is created to retain its shape, the CyberSkin® product can last a lifetime with reasonable care and maintenance, always delivering high performance and realistic feel.
Also, with the added revolutionary molding process of Dual Density®, CyberSkin® products can simulate the softness of skin and the rigidity of erectile tissue and/or bone. In manufacturing, the molding machines use computerized injection that enables varying densities of CyberSkin® to be strategically placed throughout the product. This means that in a product shaped like a vagina, you can actually feel the softness of vaginal lips and the hardness of pubic bone. And in a penis, you can feel the softness of skin with the rigidity of erectile tissue, creating the most realistic sex accessory.

CyberSkin® Care Instructions

• Wash after each use with liquid anti-bacterial soap and water
• Pat dry with soft, cotton towel and allow to air dry completely

To properly maintain your CyberSkin® product, generously apply Renew to restore the original soft, non-sticky texture

• Keep CyberSkin® toys separate from other toys when not in use
• Store CyberSkin® in a plastic bag with a small amount of Renew in a cool, dry place

WARNING:

• DO NOT use mineral oil or oil based products as a lubricant as it may cause deterioration of CyberSkin®. Water-based lubricants or climax® brand Silicone lubricants are ideal. If any other lubricant is used, clean toy immediately after use to prevent deterioration. Add Renew to extend the life of the toy.

Article: Contactcyberskin.com for further information

Our bondage and Femdom sex toys bring us so much enjoyment. The better we look after for them, the longer they’ll give us pleasure. The following are some techniques to keep your toys in tip top condition

CLEANING BONDAGE SEX TOYS, USED FOR MONOGAMOUS

All sex toys should be cleaned periodically even if they don’t come into contact with bodily fluids. Even something as simple as blindfolds should be cleaned. Makeup and eye goop can get on it and that can be transferred to another person or infect the same person’s eye if there’s too much build up.

METAL

Metal devices (clamps, handcuffs and some vibrators) are washed with hot water and antibacterial soap (in order to prevent rusting) and dried with a clean towel.

BATTERY OPERATED TOYS

Sex toys which run on batteries should never be dipped in water, because water is very likely to damage the device. The fact is that the breakage is not always noticeable and at the same time it really can cause very severe consequences, up to electric shock. To remove dirt from microscopic chinks and holes on the device’s surface use a soft brush, for example a toothbrush or a soft brush for nails cleaning.

RUB, SILICONE, AND PLASTIC

Sex toys made of rub (soft skin), silicone and plastic must be washed in the same way, but these materials require more delicacy. Dry them in the open air, rather than with a towel. Silicone is the easiest to clean. Silicone is resistant to heat. You can clean them in different ways : one way is to boil your toys for 2 to 3 minutes in plain water. -If you have a dishwasher, you can wash SILICONE toys in there also. Warm water and a soft soap will also do the trick (do not use corrosive soaps, use gentle soaps.) To make cleaning of sex toys which are supposed to be inserted inside the body (dildos, vibrators, plugs) easier put the condom on these devices every time you use them. Never talc devices made of soft synthetic materials. (talc powder has been linked to cervical cancer).

VINYL, TRUESKIN CYBERASKIN AND JELLY

these toys are less resistant than silicone toys, we recommend: Warm Water and a soft soap (Do NOT boil ! or use HOT water)

LEATHER

Just as there are all kinds of leather, there are all kinds of ‘cleaning’ so what is good for one may not be needed for another item. With leather to be especially careful with is suede. Don’t get it wet! It will ‘mat’ down easily. There are brass brushes made to bring the nape up, but it is never quite the same again.

On smooth leather I use Saddle soap for general cleaning. First I wipe the leather down with a damp cloth. Removing all loose surface dirt. Then I use a shaving brush to work up a lather (I prefer the solid saddle soap over the liquid). I swirl this into the leather, then while it is still damp, I wipe it off. Repeat, only this time let it dry all the way. Later brush it off with a shoe brush. This is good cleaning and conditioning for most smooth leathers. For added conditioning, I like Fiebings, “Care-4”. I think it is better and cheaper than Lexol. Smells better too! I use a spray bottle to put it on. Working it in, by bare hand rubbing. Then, after a few minutes, wipe off any excess. Later buff it with a brush or hand rub with soft cloth

WOOD

Sex toys made of wood are more difficult to clean and to take care for. Paddles and other similar devices are often provided with a water-repelling coating to prevent the wood from bacteria penetration. Such surfaces are easily cleaned with a soft fabric, hot water and antibacterial soap. Then these sex toys must be properly dried. Alternatively they can be washed with a disinfectant. But wood is a porous material, therefore the disinfectant will inevitably soak into the device. As the result the remainders of the disinfectant will activate when the surface gets wet ( such as sweat, vaginal/seminal fluids). This can cause skin irritation. Therefore you had better throw the toys away as soon as they get dirty and buy new ones. These sex toys are not expensive and can be easily purchased.

All devices should be dried in the sun for a better disinfection. Before putting the toys away for storage make sure they are completely dry. Remove the batteries and keep them separately. All sex toys must be kept in a cold dry place. To protect the toys against dust, put each device into a special case. Metal sex toys should be kept in small bags made of a soft fabric, for example velvet. Keep clamps separately in order to prevent damaging of other sex toys. Make sure a device is not damaged every time you are going to use it. Never use a toy if you are not sure it is safe to use. Proper cleaning and care will make your toys serve you long.

ROPE

See Washing rope, whipping, and Rope Storage on the resource page

Use common sense and keep your sex toys clean 

SHARED BONDAGE SEX TOYS

If you’re sharing your sex toys with a few people and it comes into contact with bodily fluids, make sure it is cleaned and disinfected before it comes into contact with a new person. If you plan to play with more then more one person, you should have separate toys for each person. That’s the safest, label each toy to keep track of who’s who. Remember, this is all part of being a responsible sexually active adult.

If you plan to insert any part of the sex toy (handle of whip or paddle, etc.) into your partner’s orifice, cover it with a condom. It is also recommended by some health sites such as aids foundation say a 10% dilution of bleach will suffice to kill the Aides bacteria.bleach is one of the ideal sterilizing agents for the control of pathogenic organisms (i.e., germs, viruses like AIDS and bacteria that make us sick). It’s commonly available, not very expensive, and most laboratory studies have indicated that a soak in a 10% solution of bleach (9 parts water to 1 part bleach) for 10 or 15 minutes will reliably kill the AIDS virus.

However, at least one study has suggested that some disease organisms may survive a rinse in 10% bleach solution, particularly if the soaking isn’t long enough. In addition, most of the laboratory studies have been applied primarily to less porous and degradable substances than leather – most specifically to shared drug syringes.

Scientists are definitely aware that sex and shared needles are common vectors of transmissions (ways people get sick) for the AIDS virus. They are much less commonly aware of the special issues around leather and what we do with it in the BDSM community, and it is important to look at their study results carefully if we want to better understand our risks.

Leather has some issues and problems all its own, and it is not (as far as I know) a specific subject of any of the studies done on the survivability of the AIDS virus. It doesn’t stand up very well to extended or repeated soaks in bleach water, which creates some special questions and potential problems for us since we do use leather toys which have the potential to break skin and which may be used on more than one person. Most leather toys can be cleaned with soap and warm water, although leather toys need additional cleansing and reconditioning so the leather doesn’t get ruined. Using a mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide will disinfect and kill bacteria on leather, that soap and water may not get to. Soak the parts that came into contact with bodily fluids and let stand and few minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Then use a leather conditioner to revitalize your toy. Alternatively Leather toys, especially expensive ones such as floggers, are much more difficult to adequately clean if they are exposed to potentially infectious body fluids. Bleach will damage leather fairly quickly, though your leather toys will last longer if professional leather care solutions are used in addition to the bleach solution. Purchase leather care and conditioning products at saddle and tack shops or retail leather clothing outlets, and make sure you have the right one for the type of leather that was used to make your toy.

Depending on its weight and manufacture, some leather will actually survive one autoclaving, but some won’t, and it’s an expensive proposition to find out which is which. I doubt any leather could survive repeated autoclaving. (Hint: rawhide *definitely* does not make it, and dyes fade.)

More leather-friendly (but much more expensive) alternatives to bleach or boiling, a hospital sterilizing wash, or another full spectrum viricide/antiseptic, sometimes in combination with an extended period of being left dry and unused as an additional precaution.

Some experiments have been done on the viricidal and antiseptic properties of various types of radiation ranging from simple sunlight to more complicated forms, but the jury still seems to be out on the results. Certainly some exposure to sunlight won’t hurt, and may even help, if some scientists’ theories turn out to be right. Microwaving on low power has also been suggested, but I am not certain of the efficacy of this technique and I am certain that it can cause scorching and warping.

Humidity is definitely an important factor in the length of time that a pathogen can survive outside a human host, and a dry environment is much less pathogen friendly than a humid one. There are some bacterial spores known to be able to survive an extended dry period, but most authorities agree that the virus that causes AIDS does not survive well outside the human body for any significant length of time.

Toys made of metal, plastic derivatives or fibreglass are not easily damaged by a higher percentage solution of bleach or a longer soak time, so they are easy to clean – a 15 minute soak in bleach water and a rinse is adequate for us to be sure that there are no infectious pathogens left viable (alive) on the toy. Toys made of wood, some kinds of rubber, cloth or synthetic fibre, such as the nylon cracker on a single tail, stand up reasonably well to up to a 20% or even 25% solution of bleach and water, but may degrade over time. It is a good idea to wash these toys with soap and water to remove traces of the bleach solution after soaking. Some toys may be autoclaved if real sterility is desired. A few sources recommend washing “things” in a detergent solution before as well as after the soak in bleach (or disinfectant of your choice). This becomes more important as the level of body fluids on your toy increase as higher concentrations of organic matter can prevent penetration of the disinfectant and can sometimes inactivate some disinfectants.

Contagious body fluids include blood, plasma, semen, vaginal fluids and saliva. Urine and faeces can also carry pathogens. Simple skin contact, even if the skin is sweaty, is not considered sufficient as a vector of direct (or indirect) transmission of any known pathogen. So it is generally safe to use a leather flogger on more than one person’s back or ass in succession, assuming that no one has broken skin. Washing in between with saddle soap (or a suitable suede care product if you own a soft flogger) is not a bad idea for general hygiene, but hardly a dire necessity if the instrument has touched only unbroken skin.

This is not always a safe assumption. Pimples or “zits” are effectively broken skin, and they are not an uncommon occurrence. Likewise minute scratches, scrapes or pinpricks; horsehair whips are particularly good at creating these tiny breaks in the epidermis, and stiff, scratchy-edged leather can do the same kind of almost unseen damage. But how likely is it in reality that an infection could be transmitted this way?

Ignoring for now the vectors of airborne transmission and animal bites, the way the diseases we tend to worry about get transmitted is by direct or indirect contact with infectious body fluids. Direct contact means that you touch the fluid directly. Indirect contact is what we are trying to prevent by cleaning our toys. If something that has touched infected fluid touches you, that is indirect contact.

Four conditions need to be present for transmission of the disease to occur:

• 1. The disease pathogen must be present. i.e., the person whose body fluids you have contacted must have the disease (or more accurately, must harbor the pathogenic organism, whether or not disease symptoms have developed). If neither person in a couple has any disease, you can exchange any body fluid you want except for urine and faeces in complete safety. Waste products have some special problems and associated risks even if you ingest your own, though urine tends to be a problem only in quantity or over an extended period. Warning: it is not always easy to know if you are completely free from infectious disease, even if you have been recently tested, as some diseases can have a long incubation period.
• 2. The infected fluid must contact mucus membrane (wet places) or broken skin in order to enter your body. “Infectious pathogens will not cross intact skin; however, they will enter through cuts and mucus membrane quite easily.” (Brady Emergency Care, Grant, Murray and Bergeron, sixth edition) Note that broken skin does not always have to be obvious – a pimple, a hangnail, a minute scratch or a paper cut is broken skin. You have mucus membrane in your eyes, nose, mouth, rectum and urethra or vagina.
• 3. The recipient must be vulnerable to the disease, i.e., not immune. Since there is not currently an effective vaccine for AIDS (though there is one for most strains of hepatitis), you can assume you are not immune and you are vulnerable to disease.
• 4. There must be a sufficient quantity of the pathogen present in viable (alive) form to cause a disease. Under field conditions (i.e., in your bedroom or dungeon, outside a laboratory), we don’t know what constitutes a sufficient quantity. We can guess that aeration of minute specks of vaporized fluid, such as is caused in the operating room by surgeons using high speed cutting or drilling instruments, or by a single tail cracking after it has drawn blood, is probably not a sufficient quantity. We can guess (but cannot be sure) that fluid that has been outside the body for a significant length of time is less likely to contain viable disease organisms. We can make that guess a lot closer to a sure thing by applying proven viricidal and antiseptic solutions for a length of time known to kill 100% of pathogenic organisms. However, one drop of blood can definitely carry a high enough concentration of pathogens to transmit successfully if the other conditions are fulfilled.

A result is that the contact must persist for an adequate length of time for the pathogen to be transmitted. Under field conditions (i.e., in your bedroom or dungeon, outside a laboratory), we don’t know what is an adequate length of time. We are pretty sure that washing off the infected fluid as soon as possible does reduce the chance of transmission.

Because materials like leather, cloth and hair are porous, they provide a more pathogen-friendly environment for organisms to survive in. Complete sterilization is more difficult, and by hospital standards of real sterility basically impossible. Well made cloth will actually stand up to heavy duty cleaning better than most types of leather, which are easily damaged by anything that significantly changes their chemistry.

What does that mean in your dungeon, since you are (presumably) not using your flogger to perform any major surgeries? Basically, you can’t seriously break skin on one person with a leather toy and then clean it sufficiently to break skin on a second person without some *awfully* heroic efforts in between that will probably destroy the flogger if done correctly, i.e., in a way that causes the sterilizing agent to completely penetrate the leather and remain there for a length of time sufficient to kill any organisms.

How much of a risk are you taking by re-using a flogger that has broken skin? Again, the factors that control disease transmission are presence of pathogen (somebody actually has to have the disease), amount of pathogen (was it barely a smear, or really wet with blood, and did you reduce the amount of fluid or the viability of the pathogens in the fluid by wiping, washing, drying or applying a sterilizing solution?), vulnerability to the pathogen (if you’ve been successfully vaccinated against hepatitis, you can’t get those strains) and point of entry (infected fluid must contact mucus membrane or broken skin) and length of exposure time (how fast did you wash it off).

Those are the factors that influence your risk level. You can choose the level of precaution you want to take. Since AIDS is a fatal disease, most people prefer to err on the side of caution.

You are free to choose your own level of risk, and the smartest way to do this is to keep well informed and up to date on what the factors are that actually control your risk of getting a disease or giving it to your partner.

DISCLAIMER: Please consult your doctor or a trusted medical authority for recent, up to date information if you are concerned about most accurately assessing your level of risk. I have done my best to accurately research this information, but I am a lay person, and not a practicing medical doctor.

Enjoy ‘YOUR’ safe pleasure!

Article by MissBonnie © collarncuffs.com

Choosing the right vibrator for Femdom activities will always be primarily about personal preferences. But there are some questions you can ask yourself before you choose a vibrator that will help reduce the risk of choosing one that you’ll use once and then will forever collect dust in your sock drawer:

• 1 How do you want to use your vibrator: external clitoral stimulation, penetration, or both?
• 2 What should your vibrator be made out of, and what safety concerns are there about materials?
• 3 How strong a vibrator should you buy: mild to super strong, single speed or variable?
• 4 How much do you want to spend on a vibrator: $5 or $500, the selection is out there for every budget?
• 5 What do you want your vibrator to look like?

As you go through the images and descriptions below you’ll see lots of examples of vibrators, and get tips on things to think about when buying a vibrator.

External Stimulation Only,

While the majority of vibrators are phallic shaped most people use vibrators for external stimulation. If you’re looking for a vibrator for external stimulation only, you should consider buying a hard plastic vibrator.

Hard plastic vibrators:

• tend to be stronger than soft rubber vibrators
• are easier to clean
• don’t bend when you press them against your body allowing you to better adjust the pressure of the vibrator

External hard plastic vibrators:

• can be small bullet or egg style vibrators, or longer wand style vibrators.
• They may be battery powered vibrators or electric (plug-in) vibrators.

The main differences between vibrators for external stimulation are:

• the strength and quality of the motor
• the type of vibration (there is buzzing, thumping, rotating, pulsating, and more)
• the texture of the vibrator (ridges, bumps, smooth)
• shape, size and color
• If this is your first vibrator it is probably best to choose one with variable speed.

G Stimulation

While most people use vibrators for external stimulation others love the feeling of a vibrator for penetration. More people choose soft rubber vibrators for penetration, as they find hard plastic vibrators too jarring. But there are no rules to buying the right vibrator, and as long a vibrator is safe for penetration (no sharp edges) then you can use a hard or soft vibrator for penetration.
More and more vibrators for penetration are designed for g-spot stimulation. These vibrators will have a curve near the tip, which makes it easier to stimulate the g-spot as soft rubber toys can bend when inserted into the vagina.

Aside from g-spot vibrators, vibrators designed for penetration differ mainly in:

• their size
• the material they are made of: jelly rubber , silicone , cyberskin, or vinyl

the strength and quality of the motor

• the type of vibration (buzzing, thumping, rotating, pulsating, and more)
• whether it is single speed of multi-speed, and what type of switch is used to adjust the speed

Most of these differences can be decided based on personal preference, but if this is your first vibrator be sure not to pick something too big, and to choose one that has variable speed.
If you are concerned about the safety of sex toy materials, you can either stick with silicone or hard plastic , or if buying a less expensive rubber vibrator, be sure to use condoms each time you use the vibrator.

Penetration And External Stimulation

If this is your first vibrator, or if you are looking for something versatile, you may want to choose a vibrator that can be used for both penetration and external stimulation. There are two styles of vibrator that can be used for both.
The first are straight/cylindrical vibrators that have motors near the tip of the vibrator can be good for both penetration and external stimulation. Vibrators made primarily for penetration will often have motors in the base, and these are more awkward and not that functional to use it for external stimulation. If the motor is near the tip you can easily use it for external stimulation and know exactly where the vibration is strongest in the body of the vibrator.
The second type of vibrator that can be used for both penetration and external stimulation are dual action vibrators which are made for simultaneous penetration and clitoral stimulation. The most popular of these vibrators is the Japanese Pearl Rabbit , but there are hundreds of variations on this style.
Because dual action vibrators only do one thing (but do it very well) they may not be the best first time vibrator. But if you’re looking for something different, or like the idea of both penetration and clitoral stimulation, they’re worth checking out. Make sure you know whether your dual action vibrator has a Japanese motor or not. Many sex shops overcharge for poor quality vibrators to take advantage of the fact that most people think dual action means better quality. This is not always the case.

Soft Surface

Soft rubber vibrators, which most people choose for penetration can be made of a variety of materials: silicone , jelly rubber , cyberskin, vinyl, and all manner of silicone/jelly mixes.

One of the benefits of any soft rubber vibrator is that it will be quieter than hard plastic, and if you drop it, it’s less likely to crack :MissBonnie

Silicone is the best quality material for a soft rubber vibrator; it is the cleanest and safest material, it transmits vibrations best (so the motor will feel stronger), it is easiest to clean, and it retains temperature better than other rubbers. The only drawback to silicone is the cost. Also you cannot use silicone based lubricants with a silicone vibrator.

Currently most jelly rubber vibrators contain phthalates and should always be used with condoms. These along with latex vibrators, which are usually filled with foam, absorb vibrations a bit more, so they tend to be milder than silicone or hard plastic. The main benefit of these vibrators is their inexpensive price.

There are some vibrators that have a hard plastic shell which is then covered in a softer material like silicone or jelly rubber. These vibrators often have the benefit of strength with the softer feel which some people prefer.

Hard Surface

Hard plastic vibrators are ideal for external stimulation, and as long as they are seamless and have no rough edges or corners, they can also be used for penetration.

Some of the benefits of hard plastic vibrators include:

• stronger feeling vibration
• easier to keep clean
• less likely to cause an allergic reaction
• they don’t bend when you are applying pressure with your vibrator

There are a few vibrators that are made out of various metals, including gold , titanium , and aluminum.

These vibrators have several additional benefits.

• They have a weight to them which can be very pleasurable when used for penetration.
• the material makes the vibration resonate in a different fashion, which is noticeable when using it.
• Metal toys also cool down and warm up, adding another element to the sensation.
• These natural materials are also very safe and clean, and easy to keep clean.

If this is your first vibrator, and you’re looking for something to use externally for clitoral stimulation, hard plastic might be the way to go.

Metal vibrators, while highly prized, do tend to be more expensive and may not be a great idea for first timers.

How Strong Should Your Vibrator Be?

Vibrators come in a wide range of strengths, from mild to supersonic. If you are buying your first vibrator what is most important is to get a vibrator that has variable speeds.

Here are some things to consider in terms of vibrator strength.

• In almost all cases electric vibrators (whether they plug in or are rechargeable) are more powerful than battery vibrators. Particularly if you are looking for a vibrator that you can also use as a full body massager, electric vibrators, like the famous Hitachi Magic Wand, are the way to go. Most electric vibrators have two speeds, and the only concern can be that at the lowest speed an electric vibrator may be too strong.
• Battery powered vibrators offer a wider range of strengths of vibration. With battery powered vibrators another consideration is the size of the vibrator. Smaller vibrators can feel stronger because the point of vibration is more focused and not being dispersed across a long area.
• Hard plastic vibrators usually feel stronger than soft rubber vibrators; even if they have the same size motor and take the same number of batteries.
• The best vibrator will be one that goes as low as you need it to for starters, but is stronger than you’re comfortable with as well. Many people find once they get comfortable with vibrator that they enjoy somewhat stronger vibrations. Of course there are others who only like mild vibration. As with everything this is a personal preference.

Inexpensive

Vibrators are not quite as sophisticated a market as cars or photographic equipment, so judging the quality range and price range is a bit more of a gamble. However as a general rule one can identify three levels of quality and price for vibrators.

The least expensive vibrators range in price from $10 to $40. These generally have inexpensive Chinese motors, are made of hard plastic or jelly rubber , and are built to not last.

Mid-range vibrators can cost between $50-$70 and are either made of a better quality material or have better quality motors, but usually not both.

High end vibrators combine the best of all worlds; quality motors, material, and design. These can range in price from $80-$200. Keep in mind that less expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t feel as good, it usually means the vibrator won’t last long, and the material may be inferior quality. But don’t let a store or website pressure you into paying more for a vibrator than you want.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s always safer to start inexpensive.

Remember to use condoms on any inexpensive soft rubber vibrators, some times the ingredients are questionable, or the country of origin doesn’t have strict manufacturing standard :MissBitch

Once you know whether you like vibration or not, you can invest in the future.

Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean useless.

High End

Vibrators are not quite as sophisticated a market as cars or photographic equipment, so judging the quality range and price range is a bit more of a gamble. However as a general rule one can identify three levels of quality and price for vibrators.

The least expensive vibrators range in price from $10 to $40. These generally have inexpensive Chinese motors, are made of hard plastic or jelly rubber , and are built to not last.

Mid-range vibrators can cost between $50-$70 and are either made of a better quality material or have better quality motors, but usually not both.

High end vibrators combine the best of all worlds; quality motors, material, and design. These can range in price from $80-$200.
Keep in mind that less expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t feel as good, it usually means the vibrator won’t last long, and the material may be inferior quality. But don’t let a store or website pressure you into paying more for a vibrator than you want. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s always safer to start inexpensive and then once you know whether you like vibration or not, you can invest in the future

Visual

A final, but not unimportant consideration is what you want your vibrator to look like.

Other than shape and texture, do you want something that looks like a penis? Something that looks like a bunny rabbit, or a goddess? And what about the color? Many people think it’s strange to care about vibrator color, but other pick sex toys to match their sheets or their mood.

There’s no right or wrong.

Vibrators come in every look imaginable, so even if you’d like something that is vaguely phallic shaped, but not all veiny and “representational” you’ll find something.

If you’re going to use the vibrator with a partner you might want to consider what they’ll be most comfortable with, and most excited by. Some people are intimidated by toys that look like recognizable body parts, whereas others are turned on by them.

There are also all sorts of vibrators that don’t look like vibrators at all, and these can be a benefit for people with kids, or roommates, and little privacy.


Article: MissBonnie and MissBitch for The Beginner’s Guide to Vibrators © CollarNcuffs.com

Many, many thank yous to Cle-Andria for her help with images, allowing us to destroy her shop shelves in the name of kink, and her wealth of information.