Sexual Health Risks of Using Sex Toys

According to Sexual Health Scotland, using sex toys is a medium risk activity. This is because using sex toys can lead to sexually transmitted infections when you share them with a partner. Some types of sex toys can also present some risks to your health.

What are sex toys?

Sex toys are objects that are designed for sexual pleasure, there are a huge variety of different sex toys. These including dildos, vibrators, butt plugs, anal beads and a variety of different masturbation products.

What are the risks?

Sex toys are great fun to use alone or with a partner. However, there are some risks of using sex toys, especially when sharing them with a partner.

If you share your sex toys with a partner you are exposing yourself to potentially catching an STI or blood-borne infection. Infections that can be caught through sharing sex toys includes:

• chlamydia
• syphilis
• herpes
• bacterial vaginosis
• shigella
• hep B
• hep C
• HIV

If you are the only person to use your sex toy then it is extremely unlikely that you will catch any of the above. However, make sure that you always clean your sex toy properly in order to prevent any bacterial infections.

How can I reduce the risks?

You can reduce the sexual health risks by not sharing your sex toys and making sure that they are kept clean.

Sex toy cleaning and hygiene is extremely important. A clean sex toy will reduce the chance of you getting any infection, so make sure that you always wash your toy after use.

If you want to share your sex toy, then we recommend putting a condom over your sex toy when you use it. This will prevent any bacteria from moving off the sex toy and into your vagina. You will need to use a new condom each time you use your sex toy.

When you buy a sex toy also make sure that you buy one from a trusted manufacturer. This is because if you buy a cheap sex toy, you may not be able to trust the quality. Make sure that you shop for a non-porous toy, silicone is a good material to start with. This is because it will not harbor any bacteria, and can be cleaned easily.

Summary

In summary, we strongly recommend against sharing your sex toys. This is because it could lead to you catching or transferring infections to the other user. If you do want to share your sex toy, make sure that you wrap your sex to in a condom. Finally, make sure you buy a high quality sex toy from a company that you can trust.