Is Your Sex Toy TOXIC?

Dildos are no new phenomenon. Dildos were popularly used in such ancient civilizations as Egypt, China, Greece and Rome, and even during the Stone Age. However, dildos have radically changed in recent years– perhaps not in shape, but certainly in material. Most of our dildos, like everything else in 21st century life, are made of plastic.

Now the problem with plastic, as scientists are starting to realize, are chemicals called phthalates that are often added in order to soften plastic to make products like, well, sex toys. Unfortunately, these phthalates leach from plastic over time and, like many chemicals, are not good for you. Tests on rats have shown damage to the liver, lungs, testes and kidneys, and tests on humans are confirming that they cause problems with hormone regulation and reproduction. Additionally, they’re starting to think that phthalates are carcinogenic (cancer causing).

So, as you can imagine, phthalates aren’t exactly something you want leaching into your body through the vaginal or anal walls. Sadly, most cheap dildos are made with PVC or latex/jelly rubber, materials which contain phthalates. Green peace recently did an analysis, and found an extremely high concentration of phthalates in PVC sex toys, with 7 out of 8 with concentrations of 24-51%.

Unfortunately, sex toys are not regulated very well. Manufacturers classify them as “novelties” so that they can avoid having to comply with FDA regulations, despite the fact that sex toys are clearly intended to be used internally. As well, here in North America we’re rather behind the times with banning phthalates that can be ingested by the body, unlike the E.U., which has banned the use of six types of phthalate softeners in children’s toys.

However, there are plenty of alternatives to cheap plastic and latex dildos. Medical-grade silicone dildos, hard plastic dildos, steel dildos, glass dildos and ceramic dildos are all phthalate free, and unlike plastic and latex dildos they are non-porous and can be sterilized. None of these are hard to find, and if you go to any sex shop or website, they should be able to tell you which dildos are phthalate free. Your biggest tip off, though, is that strong plastic smell that cheap dildos have; phthalate-free dildos should be odorless.

In our world, we come into enough contact with dangerous chemicals without adding potentially harmful toxins straight into our bodies via dildos. Dildos have been a fun staple in the bedroom for countless millennia, and should continue to be enjoyed worry-free. Some things are worth spending a few extra bucks for, and a toxic-free dildo is one.