A Brief History of Sex Toys and Their Effect on Female Sexuality

The beginnings of the female sex toy are interesting indeed. As any Master of Sex fan knows, intimate vibrating devices were not created for the sole reason of bestowing pleasure to women. Instead they were created to give male doctors a reprieve from the grueling task of physically stimulating their female patients back from “hysteria," a blanket term which covered a broad litany of issues that affected only women. And let's be honest, they never would have been invented had they not had some initial benefit for men.

“Until the 20th century, American and European men—including physicians—believed that women did not experience sexual desire or pleasure," wrote sex expert Michael Castleman, in Psychology Today.

"They believed that women were simply fleshy receptacles for male lust and that intercourse culminating in male ejaculation fulfilled women's erotic needs. Women were socialized to believe that 'ladies' had no sex drive, and that duty required them to put up with sex in order to keep their husbands happy and have children."

The electric vibrator was invented in the late 19th century by Mortimer Granville (played by Hugh Dancy in the vibrator origins exploring film, Hysteria). The original prototype was “a handheld battery operated device designed to relieve more muscle aches and pains," which would eventually evolve to become a tool manufactured and sold to physicians to treat "hysterical paroxysm" in female patients. In the 1900s women began to seek the good feelings without a doctor visit, and thus the DIY "hysteria treating" market was born.

“During the early 20th century, doctors lost their monopoly on hysteria treatment as women began buying the devices for themselves, thanks to advertisements in popular women's magazines, among them: Needlecraft, Women's Home Companion, and the Sears & Roebuck Catalogue, that era's Amazon.com," wrote Castleman. “However, to make vibrators' socially acceptable, their real purpose was disguised. They were called “personal massagers" (and still are in some catalogues today). But discerning women and advertising copy writers knew very well what “massagers" were all about. One 1903 advertisement in the Sears Catalogue touted a popular massager as “a delightful companion […] all the pleasures of youth […] will throb within you...."

Once the sexual revolution of the latter half of the century began unfolding and more women started owning that they, like men, could indeed feel physical pleasure, sex toys went from secret to more mainstream. Today, the adult novelty market (which now includes "smart" toys that utilize everything from VR to 3D printing) was expected to grow 15.29% during the period 2016-2020. To better understand women's relationships with their own sexuality and where sex toys fit in, SWAAY asked a variety of our favorite influencers, journalists, and sex columnists which toys were their favorite and the answer was almost unanimous: The Womanizer.

Unlike classic vibrators (think: The Rabbit from Sex And The City fame, or the much heralded Hitachi wand), this ergonomically shaped tool looks more like a tech accessory than a sex toy. Described as “life changing" and “perfect for the girl on the go," the Womanizer is a new-age sex toy, made to mimic the sensation of oral sex with air pressure. And it works fast.

“We have built-in sex toys. We have five on each hand. But, all jokes aside, I think people from as far back as you can imagine have been trying to improve upon what we were given. If there was hieroglyphic porn, there were definitely early sex toys," says Morgan Rossi, a spokesperson for Womanizer.

“There was a real lacking in the industry for something that effectively simulated oral sex," says Rossi. “There were tons of products that were tongue shaped and trying to get there but it was never creating the same sensation."

Rossi, who joined the Germany-based, all-male Womanizer team last year, says as the brand's spokesperson, her goal is helping women better understand the product's functionality—the Womanizer uses a unique "air technology."

“What it does can be hard for anyone to understand," says Rossi, who handles almost 100 retail accounts in the US and Canada."We are pretty fortunate we got an excellent mainstream response right away largely thanks to our PR team. We got into Glamour, Cosmo, and O Magazine, and that made it approachable."

Additionally, the product's universally positive reviews have also helped it catch on and make women more comfortable with using it. “The puzzling design and complete departure from the mechanics of every other sex toy make it a head-scratcher for most men," wrote one Amazon reviewer. “I find the confusion on a partner's face when I break it out and proudly declare 'this is my favorite toy' just charming."

Via Womanizer

“The reviewers are huge for us," says Rossi. “We are pretty reliant on those bloggers and the reviewers. What's great about our company is we take comments and feedback to heart. The team in Germany is really good about making improvements. A lot been done in making it more aesthetically pleasing and more minimal. We are constantly getting better."

The Womanizer's parent company, which also makes facial cleansing devices and electronic toothbrushes, is all about education, especially for sales associates. “We make it a huge focus to make sure retailers all get products, try it, and can speak to it; we want them to have a personal experience," says Rossi. “Demonstrating on the floor can be tricky because people have been conditioned to seek vibration, and extra power, something that looks very different."

According to Rossi, working as a sex expert and brand ambassador has been rewarding, mostly because of the reaction she gets from customers. "For a lot of people The Womanizer unlocks pleasure for the first time, sometimes the first time in their entire lives," she says. "For me this is an eye opener, I didn't realize the magnitude of this experience for women."

In terms of public relations and promotion, Rossi says the company has been working on social media promotions displayed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. When asked if there's been any push back due to the nature of what she's selling, Rossi says refreshingly that there hasn't been. "We are really fortunate to have had a medical study done this year, which allows us to say with great confidence that we are a health product." she says. "Sometimes, however, they do figure it out, and we will be blocked."

“Women have by and large shaped the industry into something all can enjoy openly. I think it was more mainstream than people were once willing to talk about."

In terms of the Womanizer product assortment, the company releases limited-edition designs, including one encrusted with 14 karat gold, and various colors like red rose, magenta, and white chrome. Available on womanizer.com, products range from $129 to $219.

1. Was there always a stigma around female sex toys?

Definitely. This would explain sex toys of the 50s to early 70s. They were always marketed as massagers. The boxes showed pictures of women and men “rubbing one out" on their face, neck and shoulders. I actually bought one of these golden oldies for the dead stock packaging—it had vignettes of golfers and tennis players, and then one woman with a torpedo-shaped dildo caressing the side of her cheek.

2. Why is the female orgasm so elusive? Any insight on how women explored this historically?

Many women endure the affects inorgasmia, owing to a multitude of factors. Those cases aside, I'm not sure if I consider the female orgasm elusive at all. If people are discouraged from self-exploration, sexual satisfaction can be a mystery into adulthood. Historically, women are less commonly taught and more often discouraged to masturbate. Now, we have fantastic array of products, like the Womanizer, which take some of the guess work out of the equation. This conversation is becoming much more pervasive with great toys that help women unlock pleasure, sometimes for the first time.

3. Were there any toys specifically to replicate the sensation of oral sex?

Not successfully. At least, not until the launch of Womanizer. There were some attempts at making toys that look like tongues and mimic those sensations, but they were always just a vibrator in the end. The Womanizer's Pleasure Air Technology is the most convincing.

4. Historically can you speak about how sex toys for men vs. female were perceived? Which were more popular/mainstream?

Sex toys have really exploded recently in quality and efficacy—for both men and women. Male toys were once often blow-up dolls or some version of stroker. These toys have done a 180 with today's technology. The same is true for women's toys. The better these products perform, the more people need to know and the more mainstream our products become.

5. Is it typical that the inventors of female-oriented sex toys are men?

Some successful companies were started by men with women in-mind. Ours is one of these. If a man can identify an opportunity for women's toys and can nail it with one product, I'm on board. But, there have been great products by women for women that have been equally ground-breaking. As women continue to drive this industry, I have faith that they will increase their portion of the pie.

This piece was originally published on June 25, 2017.