Remnants of the free love generation have thankfully survived and in recent years a sexual revival has resurged in the American psyche and bedroom. This time, however, the participants are a bit wiser and more sophisticated in their sexual exploration. As a result sex toys, once limited to the margins of society, have come full circle and are now in the mainstream of American living. Individuals and couples who had never before tried sex toys are now doing so for the first time. And yet, there still remains some who are scared of introducing sex toys into their life.
This fear comes in large part from a misunderstanding about the uses and ramifications of sex toys. They imagine that sex toys are limited to extreme versions of fetishism or that somehow sex toys are a means of separating you from your partner. These two conclusions cannot be farther from the truth.
With the recent explosion in the popular usage of sex toys, manufacturers have created a wide array of products designed to meet the needs and interests of everyone. While certainly there exists a wide array of S & M products on the market today which those interested in find extremely fun, there also exist a number of products designed for the novice user.
The sex toy industry is completely aware of the desire for many individuals to keep their toys discrete. As a result, a number of products have been designed with that end in mind. Vibrators that look exactly like lipstick containers and lotions and lubricants which are described with terms like ‘relaxation’ rather than more explicit sexual terminology come to mind. The discrete design and packaging of sexual toys allows even the shyest of individuals to feel comfortable.
With fears allayed as to the nature of sex toys, the next question is about their effects on an existing relationship. Whereas in decades past sex toys were largely limited to single individuals or those focused on a particular area of sex, normally labeled fetishism, recently sex toys have been brought into millions of couples bedrooms. Sex toys can be a new and exciting way to spice up sex between a couple who has been together for some time. It can also be an excellent way for couples to explore new areas to find that something works better for them. In effect, sex toys, rather than creating division between couples, are often a source which brings them together in new and exciting romantic situations.