How Safe are Sex Toys

Emma Howard: Hello! We are answering questions on Sexual Health. I am joined by Doctor Catherine Hood. Hello! Dr. Catherine Hood: Hi! Emma Howard: Catherine, we've got a question here from a 35 year old who's been married for 15 years. She says, my husband is keen to try new things in the bedroom and has even suggested using sex toys. I'm not so sure, she says because I'm worried about the risk of infection and wants to know how safe are sex toys? Dr. Catherine Hood: Well first, I've to applaud her husband's desire to introduce something new into their sexual routine. They've been together for 15 years. Chances are you are into a little bit of set pattern. It's really good to spice up your sex life every now and then. However, both of you have to be willing and wanting to do this. So I think it is important that she feels comfortable with sex toys, if that's the way they want to go. The first thing is the sex toys are safe. Apart from if you use them between partners. If you use them in different people, then it's really important to wash them, clean. But also if you're using them and I am not making any assumptions, but if you're using them between different people at the same sexual session, you should used condoms on the sex toys as well if there is any penetration. Emma Howard: So the risk is the same risk as any another kind of intersexual. Dr. Catherine Hood: Yeah. It is that case, the same risk as if you had a penis that was going in and out of various people, you would want to change the condom every time. The other thing is with any sex toys or any sex play, is if you are in to go anywhere near the bottom area which just lots of people don't like to talk about, but if you do, don't then go back into the vaginal area, because you can spread bacteria from around the right into the vagina, and that can actually cause problems for woman, and also cause infections which is not nice. Emma Howard: So that's really the main thing to be concerned about. Dr. Catherine Hood: Yeah. Emma Howard: If it's with your husband and you're trying to change your sex life as you say, spice it up. But do you think that you need to make sure that they are both happy doing the same thing at the same pace. Dr. Catherine Hood: You do, definitely, because I think it's very important that both parties feel very relaxed to what they're doing. Now, some sex toys are more explicit than others and some people just look at them and think, oh my goodness, I just don't want to go there and find them impulsive. The great news is there is huge range of sex toys now. Some of which are really, really discrete and don't looked like big pink penises or whatever it is, that might scare somebody. So you can't -- as you shop around and have a look, there is great ranges. You can find even in your local high street chemist or produced by big brands like Durex and those which are very good to use. Emma Howard: And sexual, so lot let scary. So maybe go shopping together. Dr. Catherine Hood: Absolutely. Go shopping and find something that you both are happy with it. Emma Howard: Very good advice, Catherine. Thank you very much. Well, if you have a similar problem, we hope we might have given you some help. But remember, it's always best to go and see your own doctor for medical advice. Thanks for watching. We'll be back with more health questions and answers.