THE HISTORY OF SEX TOYS

THE HISTORY OF SEX TOYS 

Presented by Lady Layla 

Generation after generation people tend to believe that they have ‘invented the wheel’ in so many ways. It is no different with regard to sex toys. In actual fact that is far from the truth. There is no reason to believe that our ancestors had less interest in sex than we have today.Cave paintings from way back depict sex and masturbation whilst the ancient Greeks decorated their pottery in ways like this – 

The artist had an inflated perception when it came to size but modern-day man also has a tendency to exaggerate – Nothing changes

Masturbation has, over the years had a bad press with it often being frowned upon although there have always been dissenting voices. As the now-deceased stand-up comedian George Carlin once said, “If God had intended us not to masturbate, he would have made our arms shorter.” In current times it is deemed to be natural and beneficial to health.It is unlikely that there were sex toys for men way back in time. Using a hand would be all that was needed. It would appear that it was different for women. Of course, modern-day materials were not available and batteries had not been invented but that did not seem to stop our female ancestors. Dildos have been discovered from the past made of readily available materials. They were carved from wood or stone, made from leather or camel dung or even produced using precious metals.

The urge to have sex was no different in the past than it is today. The oldest known dildo, made of stone, is 30,000 years old and was found in a German cave in 2005. Attitudes to sex aids have differed throughout history. Dildos were popular with the ancient Greeks with women happy to use them. Likewise, in India, in the latter years BC and the early AD years their use was encouraged.

The attitude towards these Sextoys was to change in Europe from the 16th to the 18th Century. It was at this time that men became threatened by the dildo as they felt it could do a better job than the men themselves. Whereas a man would eventually discharge his semen and become limp, the dildo could go on and on. Didos had the added advantages of not transmitting infectious diseases and not causing pregnancies. Therefore in 1670, in England, they were banned. Anyone owning one could be prosecuted. Although this was the prevailing philosophy for many years it did not stop some individuals from designing and producing options. In 1891 a steam-powered dildo was invented although it wasn’t a great success.

During the times when sex toys were outlawed many women made do with whatever was to hand. Indeed, many still do. A typical example is a cucumber.

A word of warning – Using a cucumber can affect the natural ph of the vagina and it is therefore advisable to use a condom over it. Similarly, a banana is often used.

Any suitably shaped utensil is often used such as a kitchen spoon shaped implement.

As many are made of wood care should always be taken to avoid splinters.

Things have really changed from the 1960’s to te present day. There are 4 main reasons for this.

Firstly was the change in attitudes. Secondly, there was the rise of the internet. Thirdly, there was the advent of the material silicone. Finally, there was the use of batteries.

Attitudes have changed considerably with regard to sex. Society is now far more permissive in attitude in many ways. Sex toys have become far more acceptable with a large number of ladies and couples using them.

The internet has proved to be very prominent with regard to the sale of sex toys. Previously there were a lot of embarrassed people who couldn’t bring themselves to buy a sex toy in person. The internet now allows purchases almost anonymously and certainly without embarrassment.

Silicone is a material that can be used for sex toy manufacture. The main advantage is that it is completely body-safe. There are no harmful substances that can leach from it and the surface is non porous However, the general public do not realise that there are several grades of silicone. Silicone could be described as medical-grade which is, in many ways, a meaningless term as there are no specific standards ascribed to it. For the purpose of sex toy manufacture, there is Platinum-cured silicone and there is Peroxide-cured silicone. Platinum-cured silicone is the superior of the two as no chemicals used in its production are left behind. The surface of silicone is also non-porous making cleaning easier.

Finally, there is the use of batteries allowing for the production of vibrators. Batteries of varying types have been about for ages but it was the introduction of Alkali metal-ion batteries that made the difference for sex toys. Commercial lithium batteries did not come to market until the 1970s and such batteries are now used in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, cameras and sex toys. In the mid eighties the lithium-ion battery was designed and became available in 1991. These can be rechargeable and are often used now in vibrating sex toys.

A massive breakthrough occurred when an invention designed for back massage was marketed by a japanese company called Hitachi. This was the Magic wand which was first made available in 1970.

It was marketed for use on the back but it took little time for women to begin using it on the clitoris resulting in orgasms. The wand was a massive seller and the design has been copied by other manufacturers to this day.

Athough dildos are still available they have been taken over in popularity by vibrators which now come in lots of shapes and sizes.

They range from a vibrator that vibrates along its length – 

To what must be the most popular design on the market today. – The Rabbit vibrator.

There are many other options such as a toy that sucks on the clitoris –

The supply and variety is endless including sex toys for men such as a false vagina.

Sex toys have gone from something being only whispered about to an accepted part of everyday life.

Sex toys are now big business.