A Vibrating America?

A few nights ago, while putting my daughter to sleep in the living room, I caught one of my favorite episodes of “Sex in the City.” In this particular episode, Miranda is beyond tired and has not had one moment to recuperate since having her newborn son who she says cries non-stop. The least likely of the bunch to step up to help, Samantha, decides to give up her hair appointment and offer it to Miranda for some much-needed mommy time while she stays at Miranda’s to take care of the baby. While there, the vibrating baby chair (the only thing that keeps the baby from bawling non-stop) breaks so Samantha does the only thing she can to keep the baby quiet. She rigs the chair with a vibrator she was going to return later that day to keep the baby from crying. And, well, it works.

One great thing about that show is that it opened up the dialogue for many topics that women normally did not discuss with friends. So it is not surprising that a recent study found that approximately half of American men and women admit to owning and using a vibrator. Sponsored by Church and Dwight Co. Inc., the makers of all the Trojan brand products, this survey found that both men and women alike used vibrators to enhance sexual pleasure. In fact, about 45% of men admitted to using a vibrator usually in the case of having heterosexual sex or foreplay. 17% of men admitted using vibrators to aid masturbation.

Results from this study indicate that owning and utilizing vibrators is actually a sign that a person has a healthy sexual well-being. For example, females who admitted to owning and/or using a vibrator were more likely to have had their annual gynecological exam within the previous year. These women also stated that their sex lives were better, including enhanced orgasms, desire and arousal.

Debby Herbenick, a researcher in this study and the associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, states, “The study about women’s vibrator use affirms what many doctors and therapists have known for decades — that vibrator use is common, it’s linked to positive sexual function such as desire and ease of orgasm, and it’s rarely associated with any side effects.” Two separate but linked studies were performed to compile these results. One study had over 2,000 female participants while the other study had over 1,000 male participants with both studies publishing their findings in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Other results of these studies show that over 70% of women who used vibrators have not experienced any side effects. Over 50% of women surveyed admitted to using a vibrator before and almost 25% of these women had actually used one in the previous month. Trailing close behind were the almost 45% of men who admitted to using a vibrator. Of these men, only 10% of them admitted using one within the past month. Men who admitted using a vibrator were more likely to be more conscious of their sexual health, including giving themselves testicular examinations.