Safe Sex Toys: Are There Toxins In Your Dildo?

Source: Daniel Munoz / Getty

Today, consumers demand to know what’s in just about everything, from their cleaning products to their makeup to their potato chips. But when it comes to something that arguably comes in the closest contact with our bodies, we may not be asking as many questions.

We’re talking about safe sex toys. Since the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate them, these products deserve far more scrutiny than they get. Many sex toys on the market aren’t just naughty in a fun way – they contain naughty ingredients that should be banned, but aren’t. If you demand that your sexual partners present clean STD results, use condoms and take other precautions, then you should demand that your sex toys be clean, too. Here’s what you need to know about toxins in sex toys.

Why Aren’t Sex Toys Regulated?

Daniel Munoz

It might seem shocking that the FDA wouldn’t want to know what’s inside of the things we put, well, inside of us (sometimes). But, as The Columbia Chronicle explains, the FDA does not regulate these products because they aren’t considered “medical devices.” Only select sex toys (like vibrators made for “therapeutic use”) that are used to treat sexual disorders are regulated by the FDA. But most sex toys that you encounter in your favorite adult shop or online won’t fall under this category.

Some experts in the sex toy, public health and policy-making realms also speculate that it’s best the FDA not get involved. Here’s why: the moment the FDA gets involved, the federal government can get involved, too. Translation: certain sex toys could be straight-up criminalized.