Are Sex Toys Safe?

In recent years there has been a lot of concern over how safe adult sex toys really are. Some sex toys have been claimed to cause cancer, but how much truth is there to these claims?

Adult sex toys are not required to have a great sex life, but they sure make it fun. So, you must assess your personal situation in this area. Sex toys are sold as novelty items and are not regulated or tested by any government agencies such as the FDA. They are not intended to be medical devices so the government does not deem this necessary. Before purchasing adult toys you must also know whether or not you are allergic to latex or certain types of rubber. Sex toys come in a variety of materials from jelly rubber to silicone and even glass. If you are allergic to these types of materials, then there is a likelihood that you will have some sort of reaction.

We know that many soft rubbers and jelly rubbers are made with a substance called phthalates. This substance has been linked to some individual health issues in a variety of products. Manufactures may also scent the adult toys to hid the smell of the phthalates and some people may be allergic to the scent or dye used in the product.

Phthalates are a chemical compound that is used to soften hard plastics and make them feel like jelly. This product is derived from Phthalic acid and is often called a plasticizer. This product was developed in the 1920s and has been used in a variety of products including perfumes.

Whether or not you should worry about this substance is not an easy question to answer. There have been very few studies performed that can tell us specifically whether or not this product is harmful to us. Some organizations have suggested that phthalates may pose a risk to health and reproduction; however, the National Toxicology program at the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction issued a report in October of 2005 stating that there was “minimal” risk regarding the impact of phthalates on reproduction.

If you are looking for phthalate free sex toys , ask your store to alert you to which toys are phthalate free. Most toys that smell like rubber have phthalates in them. Sex toys that do not have phthalates include:

• Silicone rubber
• Hard plastic or acrylic sex toys
• Glass
• Metal
• Elastomers

It is not recommended to use phthalate containing sex toys if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. To make them safer, you can use a condom on them assuming that you are not allergic to latex.