Hi Team Sh!
I'm writing a piece on the orgasm gap. I'm particularly interested in sex toys and how they can be used to make your sex life better. Do you have any advice you can share with me? Thanks!
Hello there,
Thanks for getting in touch! We're keen on bridging the orgasm gap and spreading the good word on sex toys, so grab a cuppa and read on :)
The orgasm gap isn't just about the disparity between male and female orgasms - it's also about the shocking number of women who have never had an orgasm (10-15%) and the 50% of women who are unsatisfied with often they get there.
Sex toys can improve your sex life
Sex toys can elevate your pleasure or ensure more regular orgasms. They can help you experience different types of climaxes or help you explore as-of-yet-undiscovered erogenous zones. No surprise - we are in favour!
Sex toys give orgasms!
We'll start with the obvious reason for using sex toys - pleasure! People use sex toys for many reasons, but ultimately - we all want pleasure, right?
Starting with women & vulva owners, because those are the customers we focus on, having an orgasm can be bloody hard work!
Of course, everyone is different, but generally speaking, a female orgasm is much tricker to tease out than a male one. It can take years to learn!
Using a vibrator can be beneficial for this. A vibrator oscillates at 200 oscillations per minute, and this reliable buzz can tip a pre-orgasmic woman over into orgasm.
Research suggests that women who orgasm regularly - at least weekly - have higher levels of oestrogen in their blood. This leads to a healthier cardiovascular system, lower bad cholesterol, higher good cholesterol, better bone density, suppler skin and a more harmonious menstrual cycle. Plus, orgasms activate the reward circuit in your brain, delivering a fantastic blast of the happy hormone dopamine!
Get to know your body better with sex toys
If we don't know what we like or need to get off - how can we expect somebody else to? You know it makes sense. Exploring your body puts you in a better position to enjoy partnered sex.
Experimenting with sex toys lets you know where on your body you like to be touched and with what intensity. Maybe you like a firm pinch on your nipple, but a super-soft stroke on your clit... (Or vice versa!) You can figure this all out on your own.
Are you interested in anal play? We recommend trying it out solo before inviting a lover's tongue/fingers/penis. Exploring this area with an anal toy or two lets you know if you like penetration or a gentle tickle on the anus without anything inserted.
Increase intimacy in your sex life with your partner
Sex toys don't have to be a solo adventure. Using toys with a partner opens up a whole new world!
Firstly, fantasizing about using a sex toy together is sexy. If you enjoy watching each other experience pleasure, a sex toy lends itself to voyeuristic play. Turn each other on with thoughts of how it would be to get off with a vibrator while your lover is watching, perhaps pleasuring themselves too.
Or, if you are not into the idea of being watched, you could explore secret thrills with the help of a remote control toy, for example. Wear a panty vibe on a night out, and let your partner be in charge of the small remote control. Imagine a throbbing buzz against the clit on a dancefloor full of folks who are none the wiser... Date night will never be the same again!
The next exciting thing to do is actually look at sex toys together. A glass of wine can help shake off shyness, so pop a bottle of rosé on ice in preparation. Power up the laptop, hop on to Sh! and giggle together while you browse pages full of fun sex toys! Pop goodies into your basket, then decide which toys feel most exciting for you both.
Using sex toys turns your sex life into a buzzing, thrusting or throbbing playground!
Sex toys can help with the treatment of Vaginismus
Vaginismus is the term used to describe recurrent or persistent involuntary tightening of muscles around the vagina whenever penetration is attempted.
Treatment for this painful condition often includes using vaginal dilators. Dilators are usually a graduated set of insertable shafts, made from hard plastic. This is incredibly unsexy and can make it difficult for women to connect their vaginas with pleasure.
Sh! designed the world's first soft silicone dilators, complete with a small bullet vibrator. Vibration can help relax tense nerve endings, making the dilaton part of treatment more pleasurable. Of course, the bullet can also be used for clitoral play to help the vagina be ready for insertion.
Once a woman has graduated past the widest size (still slim), we recommend moving on to sex toys. This helps the brain connect the word "vagina" with "pleasure."
Erectile dysfunction? No problem - let's play with toys!
Having erectile dysfunction doesn't mean that sex and pleasure are over. Far from it. There are tongues and fingers and sex toys!
We have several male customers who have embraced their soft-ons and moved on to introduce sex toy play into their love life instead. The great thing about toys is that you can choose anything that piques your interest - toys allow you to explore pleasure in different ways. There are no rules (except safety, obvs!), and you can experiment with toys that work for you both.
