sex-and-relationships

Updated: Aug 09, 2017 19:17 IST

If one goes by the long list of stories that make headlines in India – what with the Censor Board cutting out all the kissing in our films, or a certain High Court judge calling peacocks celibate -- it would seem ours is a sexually deprived society. Numbers, however, paint a totally different picture: According to a recent pan-India survey, more number of Indians are taking matters into their own hands (or rather online) to enrich their sex lives.

A survey by thatspersonal.com, an online store selling sex toys and sexual wellness products, offers a fresh insight into the trends and usage patterns of sex products in India. According to the research report, which analysed data from over 80,000 orders, 52 months of internal traffic, customer interactions and surveys, 62% of the buyers of sex toys are men, while just 38% are women.

However, women buyers outnumber men in Baroda, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Maharashtra is the number one buyer of sex products, followed by Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Gujarat, which ranks sixth on the list, rises to the third position during the Navratri festival.

When it comes to cities, Mumbai buys the most sex products, followed by Delhi. But the biggest growth is in Tier II and III cities, where sales have increased by 25% in the last 12 months. In tier II cities, Noida buys most sex products, followed by Lucknow, Jaipur, Gurgaon and Chandigarh. In tier III towns, Shillong (Meghalaya) tops the list, followed by Nanded (Maharashtra), Imphal (Manipur) and Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh).

Lubricants are the favourite sex product of men, while women like intimate massagers best. Other sex products on the most-bought list are delay sprays, sexy lingerie, pleasure rings and sexcitement lotions. The most bought role play costume is that of a nurse, while the most popular kinky product is handcuffs.

The popularity of sex toys also varies across regions. While West Bengal buys most candy panties, Assamese most prefer BDSM products. While women in Punjab buy the most number of sexcitement items, men in Telangana are the biggest buyers of men’s thongs. Penis enlargement products find most takers in Uttar Pradesh.

You can take a look at the report here.