This Christmas, you might be looking to spice up your sex life with adult toys.
However, sexologists and doctors warn users should proceed with caution – because even if a sex toy is advertised as safe online there may be dangerous reasons you should reconsider using it.
Sweden-based licensed sexologist Sofie Roos told DailyMail.com some of these potentially harmful toys include silicon objects that can get stuck in the rectum, long metal tubes that can harm the urethra and rigid metal chastity cages, which can ‘strangle’ the penis.
Experts also worry about ‘losing’ objects in the rectum and infections that can stem from improperly cleaned devices.
These can cause your most delicate regions to become bruised, cut or permanently damaged.
A 2023 study from the University of Rochester suggested these sort of injuries may be more common than people realize, as an estimated 4,000 Americans head to the hospital annually with objects stuck in their rectum.
Still, many of these devices are sold online without warnings, ranging from $16 to $30.
First, ER doctors warn against using metal ‘c*** rings’ and chastity cages, which are designed to put pressure on the penis. This, in theory, can enhance blood flow and improve erections, making sex more pleasurable or long lasting.
Researchers from the University of Rochester, New York, found that men were more likely than women to come to hospital with a foreign object lodged in their rectums. They suggested, however, that this may be down to reporting bias — because women were less likely to put non-sexual objects in their rectums, reducing the chances of their case being recorded
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These devices are relatively safe if they are made out of flexible materials like silicon or plastic. That’s because even if they do get stuck – they’re easy for doctors to remove.
However, if someone opts to use a metal version of these toys and something goes wrong, doctors don’t always have the tools to break a person free.
In 2022, California based emergency medicine physician Dr Alana Kinrich warned the public against using titanium penis rings in specific.
She said if you come to the hospital with one on, it ‘will result in us having to call the fire department to get their diamond saw.
‘This is a very undesired experience for everyone involved.’
In the time it takes to get the device removed from the area, loss of blood flow could be so severe it damages tissue, which can make someone lose sensation in their penis.
This is called ‘penis strangulation’.
It’s also possible to get cuts or bruising on the member itself, which can be painful and leave scar tissue. This can also affect sexual function.
Even with these caveats, these devices are still sold online. On Etsy, a person can purchase a metal chastity cage, which comes in a bundle with a diaper, for $35.
On Amazon, a person can purchase a stainless steel ring for their penis for $17.
Next, when it comes to putting things inside the rectum, Dr Kinrich said people should steer clear of all things breakable or without a flared base.
Having a flared base at the end of a sex toy for the anus or vagina ensures the user has something to grab onto to remove it, even against the strong suction of their muscles.
If a person comes into the emergency department with a hard metal ring stuck on their penis, doctors may not have the tools on hand to remove it, and may have to enlist other emergency professionals, who have more intense hardware to remove the device
Experts warned that metal chastity cages carried some of the same risks as metallic penis rings, and are also difficult to remove in an emergency
A rounded object that is difficult to grab is more likely to get lodged inside the body, where only a doctor can remove it.
According to University of Rochester’s Health Service: ‘Never insert anything into the anus that does not have a flared base – the reason for this is that the anus, unlike the vagina, does not have an “end.”‘
It added: ‘This is most likely to happen during orgasm, as your muscles contract and create a sort of vacuum effect, sucking the toy in.’
Similarly, Ms Roos told DailyMail.com to be wary about inflatable butt plugs.
Roos said: ‘The inflatable butt plug is also nasty and can cause damage if pumping it too big. It’s put in as a normal sized butt plug, and you pump it up with air when it’s inserted in your anal, making you able to pump it much bigger than what you normally would be able to insert.’
On Amazon, someone can purchase one of these devices, for $25.
Swedish sexologist Sofie Roos warned against inflatable butt plugs in specific, which may allow a person to have a much larger object than they’re normally able to tolerate in their bottom
The product description reads: ‘This anchor-shaped anal plug can be pushed inside while less than 2 inches in diameter and 3 inches long and then inflated to approximately 5 inches deep by 5.5 inches wide!’
After the rectum, Roos told DailyMail.com about devices used in the uretha. This is the tube that carries urine out of the body in both men and women.
In a practice called ‘sounding’, men insert rods, tubes or fluid into their urethra for sexual pleasure.
Roos said: ‘My biggest warning… is the penis plug that’s inserted in the urethra.’
In a doctor’s office, this can be performed safely, but urologists recommend against doing this at home, because the risk of losing an object, getting it stuck, or causing internal damage, is much more likely when performed by a novice.
Improper technique can also cause someone to develop blood in the urine, pelvic pain and tissue damage.
Sounding rods, which are inserted into the urethra, can cause internal damage to the penis
Also, using an improperly cleaned device can cause severe urinary tract infections, which can lead to kidney infections and death if left untreated.
Metal sounding rods can be purchased online for $22.
Even if you don’t purchase any risky toys, Edward Buhler, the director of BodyJoys, an online sex shop based in the UK, told this website there are still risks when it comes to these products.
The primary thing that health professionals are worried bout: hygiene.
Buhler told DailyMail.com: ‘The newer toys are generally made of silicone and other body-safe materials, however, there are still materials out there that aren’t healthy for the user’s body.’
So making sure you buy a product that is made from body-safe materials that is easy to clean is of paramount importance, Buhler said.
This greatly reduces your risk of infection, and will keep your sexual organs fully functional for many sessions to come.
