“When it comes to sexual health, consumers must be protected. Pretended embarrassment or false taboos should not prevent information from being disseminated and checked,” said Congressman Volker Beck in an appeal to the German government.
In the United States, the FDA lists phthalates as probable human carcinogens. But there is no legislation to keep them out of our sex toys. In studies, they have been found to cause cancer in rats at high doses, and even at low doses, rats have had some serious problems, such as genital development and fetal development, producing stillbirths in rats.
When studied in humans, there is some evidence that they interfere with sperm production and may interfere with genital development in infants. Right now, we are doing limited research because there is much more research on animals than there is on humans. But the FDA and Greenpeace have issued statements that these chemicals may pose a threat to human health.
Gov. Schwarzenegger passed a toxic toy ban to keep phthalates out of children’s toys – but what about adults’ toys? Unfortunately, a lot of this is puritanical and political.
If children’s toys are starting to be protected, why aren’t adult sex toys protected? Children’s toys are often put in the mouth (intimate contact), which is why they are banned, but adult sex toys also have intimate interactions and are put in the mouth and other body parts. However, it is clear that the sex toy industry is not highly regulated. Sex toys are often labeled as “novelty toys” (a huge loophole), which means “you’re not supposed to actually use them – they’re given as gag gifts.” As a result, there are no government-sponsored studies examining whether sex toys are actually safe to use. Amazing, isn’t it?
Shame around sex toys leads to lack of regulation
Because we are still so ashamed of buying and using sex toys, we find ourselves in a lovely catch-22. Because we are so ashamed and embarrassed about using and buying sex toys, the sex toy industry often gets away with using dangerous materials.
And when was the last time you saw a senator or congressman trying to stand up for healthy sex toys? So, as a result, few people are working to keep us safe, including this information going into the free press. As a result, American consumers, many of whom have sex toys in their nightstands, are unwittingly using a wide variety of sexy toys that can be toxic not only to themselves but to their eventual offspring.
How to avoid harmful sex toys
When you buy sex toys, you can be proactive. Just like when you buy organic foods, read the labels to make sure they are phthalate-free. Brands like JimmyJane are phthalate-free and state so on their packaging and website.
Another tip is to avoid rubber jelly sex toys that don’t list their ingredients. Or for safety reasons, pick hard plastic, silicone, glass, metal and wooden toys. These are usually phthalate-free. The good news is that many sex toy stores have developed phthalate-free sections – even online. And there are plenty of soft rubbers to choose from.
So if it’s been a while since you’ve bought a new sex toy, it may be time to ditch whatever’s lying on your nightstand and go shopping.
