When the word "vibrator" comes up in conversation, there is often silence, raised eyebrows, or even a little giggle. Why is that? One major reason is that like many things associated with sexuality, using a vibrator isn't discussed and this lack of discussion makes is seem less "normal". The lack of conversation regarding vibrator use is surprising considering 69% (I promise I didn't make up this statistic just to be funny) of women ages 18-60 report using a vibrator.
Vibrators actually have an interesting medical history dating over a century ago when physicians used to perform pelvic massage to treat a woman's "hysteria". Hysteria was a catch-all diagnosis attributed to many women for a variety of reasons including headaches, anxiety, and abnormal periods. (If I was a woman in those times I'd probably be hysterical too having to wear long dresses and be at my husband's mercy for everything.) Back then, pelvic and genital massage was not considered to be sexual in any way, and in 1899 a well-known medical reference, the Merck Manual, even listed listed this as a treatment for hysteria.
After the industrial revolution, mechanical medical vibrators were developed likely to save time and to avoid the physical difficulty of manual massage on the increasing number of female patients who drove the market for vibrating massagers. In the1920s, pornographic films started including vibrators, and that's likely when they turned from being an accepted medical treatment to something associated with pornography and sexual deviancy.
Now that you know the medical history of genital vibrators, you may reconsider trying one if you haven't or use it more often if you already do. The pelvic health benefits that a vibrator can potentially provide are reason enough to use a vibrator:
Benefit number 1. Genital vibration can improve overall sexual function.
Using a vibrator can increase pelvic floor blood flow and in turn enhance arousal, sensation, and ultimately orgasm. When this happens it's no surprise that overall sexual function improves. Vibrator use may even decrease time to orgasm and facilitate multiple orgasms.
Benefit number 2. Increase pelvic floor strength and urinary incontinence.
Use of a vibrator can decreased urinary symptoms and urinary incontinence by increasing pelvic floor muscle strength. When urinary symptoms, especially incontinence is improved, quality of life also improves.
Benefit number 3. Improvement of genital pain.
Although only one study showed that vibrator use can help with vulvar pain (vulvodynia), it's definitely a promising treatment as vibrators can help with muscle relaxation that also improves genital pain. Less pain means less sex related distress and that's good for you and your relationship.
So now that you're ready to use one, how do you choose the best vibrator for you? If you click the link there will be a set of questions to answer to get you going (no pun intended...or maybe it was intentional. Check it out -- doctor's orders.
PS. Water-based lubes are best for toys so it's a good thing Glissant has our Sea Salt & Caramel Intimate Lubricant for you!
After learning about the fascinating history and potential health benefits of vibrators, you might be interested in exploring the latest innovations in vibrator technology. For example, rabbit vibrators have gained popularity for their unique design and dual stimulation capabilities. To delve deeper into the rise of rabbit vibrators and their impact on sexual wellness, you can check out this insightful article from LELO: The Rise of Rabbit Vibrators.