Vibrator Myths

With so many myths floating around about vibrators, it may be confusing to know what to believe. Below is a helpful guide about the history of  vibrators, as well as answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that people have about them. If you have any health concerns about whether or not a sex toy is right for you, please consult with your physician.

Sex Toy Material Myths

There is a lot of misinformation floating around on the internet about body-safe sex toy materials. In fact, there are so many bloggers that are spreading false education about sex toy materials that most people are under the impression that only medical-grade silicone is safe to use when in fact, sex toys are not made with medical-grade silicone. The truth is that medical-grade is not a type of silicone; rather, it is regarding if the silicone has been tested for medical use. Most sex toys are not used for medical use and thus, are not tested in this manner. Instead, consumers should look for how silicone is cured and purchase platinum-grade or post-baked peroxide-cured silicones. Please see our Body Safe Sex Toy Guide for more helpful science-based information regarding sex toy materials. 

A Brief History Of The Vibrator

Vibrators were classified as a medical device during the 1900s. The first electric vibrator was invented by a British physician, Joseph Mortimer Granville. It was designed to treat pain, sore muscles, spinal disease, erectile dysfunction (ED), and deafness. For the treatment of ED in men, the vibrator was placed on a man's perineum to enhance the possibility of an erection.

A myth about vibrators can be traced to Rachel Maines's 1999 book titled "Technology of Orgasm." She claimed that physicians treated women for illnesses such as hysteria by manually stimulating them with their fingers to reach orgasm. However, their hands would become tired; thus, the vibrator was introduced. The myth is that doctors began using vibrators to help a woman reach orgasm more easily. As women started to learn these methods, they began to stimulate themselves sexually without a physician. However, doctors never used vibrators to stimulate women sexually; in fact, it was highly discouraged.

Vibrators became widespread when they were marketed to the general public in the early 1900s. Many ads featured both men, women, and children promising to cure all kinds of ailments, from helping to reduce wrinkles to curing tuberculous. It is easily laughable now to imagine such claims, but frankly, many people in holistic health and sex toy sellers make various false claims even today.

Hamilton Beach was the first company to patent the electric vibrator in 1902 and made it available to the general public. It was not uncommon to see advertisements for vibrators in many magazines marketed to women, such as Sears & Roebuck, Needlecraft, Modern Priscilla, and the Woman's Home Companion.

In the 1920s, vibrator ads began to show up in pornographic magazines. This made them seem taboo to mainstream society. Therefore, there was a shift in perception about them from something that was for health purposes to something shameful due to its association with sexual pleasure.

Fifty years later, a new breed of sex toys began to emerge, and in the 1980s, there was a new movement that opened the doors to more mainstream sex toy shops, including some boutique styles that were marketed toward women. Just within the last few decades, there has been a movement to not only make more upscale, quality sex toys but to make them with non-toxic materials with an array of beautiful designs and colors from which to choose.

Benefits Of Vibrators

In addition to providing pleasure, increased ease in stimulation, and a way to de-stress, vibrators have also been shown to assist those with sexual dysfunction as well help disabled people achieve sexual goals. Those with sexual dysfunction and sexual disabilities have found that vibrators may be an essential part of their sex life as they can resolve sexual issues by increasing blood flow to the genitals. This, in turn, may allow for an increase in sexual response and orgasms. It may also help a man ejaculate, which may not only provide pleasure but also allow him to father a child in situations where he could not. Vibrators may also enable one to sexually stimulate themselves when they could not due to a mobility issue.

In a 1999 report, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 25 percent of women have difficulty having orgasms or are not able to achieve them. Another national study found that women who used vibrators had a better sex life and overall sexual functioning. Vibrators have been shown to provide women with higher arousal levels, easier to achieve orgasms, increased amounts of orgasms, and overall increased sex drive.

Many people think that vibrators are more for singles but they are used by over 60% of couples. In fact, the University of Indiana researchers found that married women are more likely to use vibrators (50 percent) than singles (29 percent). Studies also show that women and their partners have a more satisfying sex life and increased intimacy when they use them together. 

Common Questions About Vibrators

Do Men Use Vibrators With Female Partners?

Many adult men (45 percent) use vibrators with a partner at least once, with 82 percent of those men using them on a woman's clitoris during vaginal intercourse. Studies show that men who use them with partners have reported increased libido, better erections, orgasms, and sexual satisfaction.

Do Vibrators Cause Genitals To Become Permanently Numb?

When someone scratches your back, the initial sensation can feel amazing and can even give you goosebumps all over your body. However, if someone kept scratching your back, even lightly, the initial thrill you received from the sensation would fade, and it may not seem as stimulating. If someone continued to scratch your back, you might even find it irritating after a long period. This is true of any stimulation, including using a vibrator. Our nerve endings are not designed to take continued stimulation, and therefore prolonged use of a vibrator may cause temporary numbness; however, it should not be permanent.

Only eleven percent of vibrator users reported occasional numbness, while only three percent experienced it frequently. If a vibrator causes you to feel a little  numb, try not to use firm pressure, rather rest if lightly on the vulva and clitoris. You may also choose to switch to using an air pulse stimulator instead. 

Do Vibrators Cause Lasting Nerve Damage?

The clitoris and the head of a penis are rich in nerve endings and stimulated easily with a vibrator. If a vibrator is used for an extended amount of time, then the nerve endings may become temporarily desensitized to it; however, simply not using a vibrator for a while will allow normal sensation to return. An average vibrating sex toy appropriately used should not cause nerve damage.

Do Vibrators Cause Permanent Muscle Twitching?

While vibrators can cause temporary twitching from time to time in women, it is no different than an eyelid twitch. It is called fasciculation and is a small, involuntary muscle contraction. It often happens after tensing the muscles. While it is not as common vaginally, it can happen from any type of sexual stimulation, whether you use a vibrator or not, and is most likely nothing to be worried about. It is very similar to getting a muscle twitch in your eye when you read a great deal and have strained the muscles. The twitching usually subsides in a few days. Finding ways to relax the muscle such as a warm bath and holding off on sexual activity for a bit may prove most helpful.

Will A Vibrator Will Take The Place Of A Partner?

If you have been contemplating getting a sex toy for you or your lover, but you are hesitant that they will like it more than you, then you can rest assured that this is a common concern. While some sex toys allow someone to experience increased physical intensity, they can never replace the sheer excitement of having a lover be intimate with them.

Many couples admit when asked in private that they have sex toy fears centered around worries that they will not be as satisfying as the sex toy. After using sex toys, most couples realize that not only are they a lot of fun but that the sex toy could never compete with a human lover. Most couples feel that sex toys only enhance their sex lives rather than create distance. 

A vibrator stimulates us sexually more efficiently than any human could because of the speed of stimulation, but the desire in the mind toward another person is far more powerful and exciting than any sexual gadget. The bottom line, no one fantasizes about a vibrator; we fantasize about our lovers. Sex toys cannot compete with our desire for human contact.

Are Vibrators Addictive?

A vibrator does not cause you to become addicted to it. If someone uses a vibrator to masturbate and does it excessively, it is not because they are addicted to the vibrator; they may have a compulsive tendency to masturbate. Read more about healthy vs. unhealthy masturbation.

For healthy people, it is similar to the enjoyment of wearing a particular shirt because it looks good and is soft on your skin. This may mean that you wear it often, but does that mean you are addicted to it? No, it means you enjoy it, and using a vibrator is merely using something you enjoy.

If You Have A Partner, Do You Need A Vibrator?

While you don't need a vibrator, they can make things easier, more pleasurable, and creative. If you want to use a sex toy, but your lover doesn't think you need a sex toy to enhance up your sex life, assure them that you don't need a sex toy just like you don't need other creature comforts like candy. However, just like candy, it can be a fun treat.

Are Vibrators Only For Masturbation?

While vibrators are great when it comes to masturbation, they are also wonderful products for couples to enhance their connection with one another. When couples are open to exploring creativity with one another, it can create a new level of flirtation, pleasure, and intimacy.

Some say if you need sex toys, then you must be doing something wrong. That is not true. While no one needs sex toys, we do not need many things in life that we enjoy, dessert, music, movies, etc. However, these things are enjoyable, as are sex toys. They are no different than finding new ways to entertain and please one another in the bedroom.

Isn't Buying Vibrators Is Embarrassing?

We certainly agree that many people find it embarrassing, which is why buying them discreetly from the comfort of your own home is the best way to avoid this. That is why we ensure that our company will not send your order in anything but discreet packaging. We will not contact you regarding anything but your order unless you want us to, and we will never sell your information. You don't have to worry about racy catalogs coming to your house or any other such potential embarrassment. We genuinely care about you.

Are Vibrators Are Morally Wrong?

Healthy people use sex toys all the time. If it helps break any misconceptions, we have sex toy orders from every type of person imaginable. From accountants, ministers, doctors, celebrities, professional athletes to homemakers and college students, using a sex toy doesn't make you weird; it helps provide pleasure, creativity, and adventure to your sex life. There is nothing that says a vibrator is immoral other than someone's personal opinion, and determining if one is right for you is something that you have to ask yourself, not someone else.

Isn't Vibration Low-Frequency Heat?

Vibration is not heat; it is motion, which can create friction and, in turn, create heat. However, vibration itself is not heat. If you put something warm on your genitals, it will help relax you and increase blood flow to the area; however, it does not provide the stimulation that the motion of vibration provides.

Do Vibrators Force Orgasms Unnaturally?

Orgasms are created in the body naturally every time you have one. Your body is what creates an orgasm, not the vibrator. The vibrator simply acts as the stimulus and can provide the ideal environment for an orgasm. However, it cannot force you to have an orgasm, and using motion to stimulate the genitals to achieve a sexual release is not unnatural. Taking one's finger and stimulating the clitoris through rubbing is the same concept as a vibrator; it is just that a vibrator can move faster.

Do Vibrators Or Estim Sex Toys Cause Pelvic Floor Weakness?

Vibrators and estim sex toys do not cause pelvic floor weakness. They help strengthen the pelvic floor by encouraging Kegel contractions, which make those muscles stronger.

Do Vibrators Cause Incontinence?

Vibrators do not cause incontinence. Because vibrators help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, this, in turn, may help to prevent urinary incontinence.

Will My Doctor Will Be Able To Tell I Am Using A Vibrator?

A doctor will not know you have been using a vibrator unless you tell them. There is nothing that a vibrator will change concerning your anatomy when you use it properly.

Is Using Sex Toys Dangerous?

Sex toys are not dangerous when they are used properly. The truth is that there have been documented health benefits from increased blood flow and libido to the reduction of improving sexual function. Using sex toys is no different than using workout equipment in that you must use it as intended, and in turn, you can then see positive results.

What Is The Perfect Vibrator?

Everyone is different in their sexual preferences as well as their level of sexual functioning. To say a sex toy is ideal for everyone does not consider these preferences, let alone sexual dysfunction and physical limitations and disabilities. This means that there is no such thing as a "sure thing" vibrator. Sex toys are a very personal preference, and finding what is right for you may take some exploration. Just some considerations to keep in mind are:

• Vibrator Intensity: How powerful do you want your vibrator to be? Power can make all the difference in the world. It affects the intensity of stimulation and can mean the difference between reaching orgasm and not. For more information, see our Vibrator Power Ratings Guide.
  
  
• Vibrator Noise: Is noise a concern? Do you want it to be quiet? Trying to relax and get into the mood can be quickly hampered when you have a noisy vibrator that alerts family or roommates as to what you are doing. If that is of concern, finding a quiet vibrator will be an essential factor. For additional information on this, see our Vibrator Noise Level Ratings Guide.
  
  
• Vibrator Sizes: How big do you want your vibrator? Using a large vibrator has the advantage of allowing more area to be stimulated and can be more comfortable to handle. A long handle allows for a comfortable grip and allows for some alternatives to be used. A small vibrator can be more easily hidden and can be used in some cases more easily during sexual activity in ways that a larger vibrator cannot be. Determining how you want to use your vibrator and how powerful you want it to be can influence how large it should be.
  
  
• Variations Of Vibration: Do you want a vibrator that offers multiple stimulation levels from low to high vibration to pulsations and surges? Do you want it to run programs, or do you want a simple vibrator that will keep a steady vibration?
  
  
• Power Source: Do you prefer something that requires batteries, is rechargeable, or plugs in? There are pros and cons to each. For more information, please see our guides on Sex Toys & Batteries and Rechargeable Sex Toys.
  
  
• Stimulation: What part of your body do you want to stimulate, and do you want to stimulate more than one part at a time. There are single, dual, and triple action vibrators that allow you to stimulate up to three different erogenous zones at a time. One of the most popular among women is the bunny vibrator that stimulates both the G-spot and clitoris simultaneously. See our Rabbit Vibrator Guide as well as our Sex Toy Guides for more information.

What Are The Best Vibrators?

There are all kinds of reasons why one vibrator may not be as effective as another for someone. That is why we have so many helpful sex toy guides and encourage customers to contact us if they have questions before purchasing from us to help them find the right one for them. After all, you would not say that one pair of shoes will be the best pair of shoes for everyone, right? People need different styles, functions, and sizes, and no pair of shoes nor a sex toy will meet everyone's needs.

Let us help you find the right sex toy for you. Please see our sex toy education center as well as our Best Vibrators & Vibrator Reviews, or contact us with any questions you may have as we are happy to help you.

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