Are Your Sex Toys Making You Sick?

By: Daniel Villarreal

Anyone with adult "novelty toys" or "personal massagers," be warned—certain types of sex toys can make you sick.

The problem—according to Jennifer Pritchett, founder of the Coalition Against Toxic Toys—is that there's no regulatory agency that tests for sex toy safety; that means sex toy manufacturers can put whatever they want to onto a product and its label, even misleading information.

When Pritchett opened up her sex toy shop Smitten Kitten, she sent off a handful of popular toys to a California chemical testing lab to see what they were made of. She was shocked to discover that some of them contained harmful industrial strength chemicals—yeah, a real boner killer.

As a result, the CATT website provides four points of advice to anyone in the market for a buttplug, pocket poon or other bedtime toy:

1) SMELL IT: If the toy smells like chemicals or plastic, it's because the toy is releasing chemicals into the air. Safe toys should have no smell.

2) NON-POROUS: Sex toys should be made of non-porous material like 100% silicone, glass, surgical steel, sealed ceramic and medical-grade plastics; otherwise, bacteria growth and gradual warping can occur making the toy more dangerous.

3) FORM AND FUNCTION: Only buy sex toys from trusted companies that specify sexual use rather than use as a "novelty" or "gag gift." Also, sensibly use toys for their intended purpose—if you're not sure how, ask a knowledgable person.

4) BODY FRIENDLY: Make sure toys are made of medical or food-grade materials that are hypoallergenic; some "jelly" products can contain potentially harmful chemicals. Below, Pritchett (who is quite beautiful in an Anna from V kind of way) talks more about toxic sex toys and how to avoid them.