Vibrators are becoming commonly discussed and widely available– they’re even sold at the Targets and Walmarts of the world.

The economics of sex toys shows this popularity. In 2022, the sex toy industry in its entirety, worldwide, had an estimated valuation of about $41 billion worldwide. Vibrators themselves are seeing huge growth potential with an estimation of $33.4 billion by the year 2030. So yes, we will be seeing more and more vibrators and I’m here to promote them too!

Why? More people are talking about the importance of sexual health – including us at Female Health Education. And because of this discussion, a formerly “taboo” topic is taboo no longer – leading to more conversations, more empowerment, and more people spending money to help themselves celebrate and enhance their sexual function.

This movement did not happen overnight – it has been in the works for decades (centuries?).

Let me demonstrate with my favorite examples:

• Season 1 Episode 9 : After another break up, Charlotte is introduced to “The Rabbit” vibrator and becomes so obsessed with it she stops going out and seeing her friends. Friends stage an intervention to get her out of the house.
• Season 5, Episode 6 : Samantha’s vibrator breaks and she goes back to Sharper Image for … you guessed it … the Hitachi Wand. Lots of women are sheepishly shopping for “back massagers” and Samantha, as a pro, helps them pick out the best.
• Season 3 Episode 13 : Samantha meets the dildo model of her favorite vibrator. Turns out she doesn’t actually like the emotions and attachment that comes with the real thing.

My female urology colleagues at Cedars published an article just recently about “The Role of Vibrators in Women’s Pelvic Health”.

The study? They recruited (mostly via social media) a group of women interested in using vibrators for this study. These women used the vibrator for 5-10 min, 2-3x per week for 3 months. Questionnaires and physical exams were done, before and after, to look for changes in sexual health and dysfunction, mental health, and other gynecologic concerns (pelvic organ prolapse, vaginal atrophy, vulvar disorders).

Their findings? An improvement of sexual function and a decrease in prolapse symptoms and pain. Rates of depression were also decreased too!

The primary conclusion? “Vibrator use was associated with improved sexual, genitourinary, and mental health”.

And this is not the only study in the medical literature that shows vibrators can be helpful for pelvic floor and vulvar issues. Other studies have shown similar benefits!

What’s the point of all this?

To show you vibrators are nothing to be embarrassed or shy about! They’re everywhere and have been for a while! And to convince you to try a vibrators – either solo or with partnered sex! There’s clearly lots of benefits.

Here are tips to finding your own vibrator:

There are SO. MANY. OPTIONS. Where to even start?!!

Sexual excitatory and inhibitory factors are different for each individual and change over time and in different situations – example: during the early part of arousal, a gentle indirect vibration may feel the best but right before orgasm a more intense direct stimulation may be needed.

This is why there are a zillion options for vibrators!

There also means there is no one “best vibrator” (if you think there is then that company’s marketing agency has done a good job in making you think that!).

How to find the right vibrator for you:

• Think about how you want to use a vibrator:
  • what area of your body you want to play with or enhance, and what feels best to you. Aren’t sure? The vast majority of females (90%!!!) need clitoral stimulation to orgasm. When in doubt, get a vibrator that stimulates the clitoris.
  • Do you want to use the vibrator with partnered sex or solo play? If partnered, what do you imagine? During intercourse or not? The size / shape of the vibrator will need to be considered!
• Various sensory components to consider:
  • Types of sensor: sucking, flicking, and vibration. What sounds the most appealing to you?
  • Intensity: consider how intense you like the sensation. The answer is probably different sensations at different points of sexual arousal. A small, narrow vibrator will stimulate a small area intensely versus a vibrator with bigger surface area will spread out the sensation a bit more.
  • Speeds: most people are happier with a few different speeds or vibration types because at different stages of arousal there are likely different preferences.
• Think of vibrators as experimental. If this is your first vibrator, look for one with various settings or sensory components. A vibrator with varied vibrations and sensory components is most likely to enhance sexual wellness for the most number of people. See what you like and don’t like so you know where to focus your attention if/when buying another one in the future. Remember – this is not a one and done situation for most people.
• Things to remember:
  • sex toys need to be cleaned! How easy is it to rinse /wash the vibrator you’re choosing?
  • If using lubricant: silicone-based lube does not mix well with silicone vibrators. The silicone components stick to each other and can become sticky over time, even ruining the silicone of the vibrator. This doesn’t happen immediately but it’s a good way to ruin your vibrator. Water or oil based (coconut, jojoba oil) are better options!

If you need a bit of help getting started, here are some resources:

If local to LA: The Pleasure Chest. The people who are work there are knowledgeable, non-judgmental, and just plain helpful. They see it all and will ignore red cheeks and all signs of embarrassment. Highly recommend.

Website: Good Vibes. So many options. Tons of information and tips on their blog and scattered throughout.

Even Amazon or Target or Walmart websites will do in a pinch – but I STRONGLY encourage you to support smaller businesses with a focus on sexual health. We want these companies to stay in business!