Vagina Vibrator

Vagina Vibrator
Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on June 27, 2021
Vibrators are sex toys that are used on the body to create sexual stimulation. Modern vibrators, also known as massagers, use electronic power to create vibrations or pulses. Vibrators come in many shapes and sizes.
Vibrators are used by placing the device on sensitive erogenous zones , which are places on your body that increase sexual pleasure. They can be used externally on the penis, vulva, clitoris and anus, or can be used internally in the anus or vagina. Continued stimulation can create feelings of sexual pleasure, and may eventually lead to orgasm .
Vibrators can be used alone or with a partner. Vibrator use is popular among both men and women of all sexual orientations. Over 43.8% of heterosexual males and 49.8% of homosexual men in the United States reported vibrator use, either alone or with partners. Another study found that 52.5% of women ages 18-60 in the United States have used a vibrator before.
Vibrators can increase feelings of sexual pleasure and make orgasms easier to achieve. Scientists are not entirely sure why vibrators feel good, but vibrators can help both men and women orgasm more quickly. As Debby Hebernick, the director of India University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion, told Mic , different people may prefer different intensity levels of vibration, and some people may be more sensitive to vibration than others. There are many different types of vibrators, so some may be better suited for certain people than others.
Some surveys show that almost half of women are unhappy with how often they are able to reach orgasm. Orgasms release the hormone oxytocin, which can create feelings of affection or social bonding, and may increase feelings of happiness.
While many people enjoy vibrators, they are especially popular amongst women who have trouble orgasming through masturbation or penetration from a partner. Many sexual health experts suggest women experiencing these issues use a vibrator to help them achieve orgasm more easily.
Vibrators may also be helpful for people who have low libido (“sex drive”), anorgasmia (a condition where a person cannot reach orgasm), motor or sensory disabilities, or conditions that prevent vaginal penetration.
One popular myth about vibrators is that overuse of vibrators can make sex without a vibrator less fulfilling. However, vibrators do not numb the genitals or make your genitals less sensitive to non-electronic stimulation.
In fact, one study found that only 11% of vibrator users reported genital numbness on occasion, and only 3% said that they experienced genital numbing frequently.
Vibrators are safe to use. Research shows that side effects related to vibrator use are extremely rare.
There are many different styles of vibrators. Some styles are meant for insertion, while others are not. Additionally, some may vibrate more strongly than others. Some vibrators plug into the wall while others are battery operated. You may want to do some research to pick a vibrator that will satisfy your needs, although many vibrators have a variety of possible uses and vibration strength settings.
Lube may also help make vibrator use more pleasurable. As Lauren Streicher, MD, explains in Women's Health Magazine , it is important to make sure that the lube is compatible with your toy. Usually, water-based lubes are best.
It is important to read the directions of the vibrator before using. Do not insert vibrators anally if the vibrator is not meant for anal insertion.
Talking to Your Partner About Trying Vibrators
You can use vibrators alone or with a partner. You may find that these toys help to increase your physical excitement before intercourse, or may help you achieve orgasm. When talking with your partner, you may find it helpful to explain that using a vibrator may help you achieve certain sensations that are not possible without it.
It may be helpful to familiarize yourself with your vibrator before using it with a partner. Play around with the different settings, and figure out different spots on your body that may feel good.
It is very important to always clean your vibrator, as bacteria left on the toy can cause infections like urinary tract infections . Cleaning is especially important when you have used your vibrator with a partner, or when it may have touched your anus.
Hard plastic and silicone toys are easiest to clean with anti-bacterial soap and cool or warm water. Most vibrators can be lightly immersed in water, but read the instructions to find out if your silicone toy can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Brown University: “What’s the best way to clean sex toys?”
Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism : “The orgasmic history of oxytocin: Love, lust and labor.”
Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy : “Vibrator Use Among Heterosexual Men Varies by Partnership Status: Results from a Nationally Representative Study in the United States.”
Journal of Sexual Medicine : “Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Gay and Bisexually Identified Men in the United States.”
Journal of Sexual Medicine : “Female Sexual Dysfunction- Medical and Psychological Treatments, Committee 14.”
Journal of Sexual Medicine : “Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Study.”
MedlinePlus: “Orgasmic dysfunction in women.”
Mic: “The Buzzworth Science Behind Why Your Vibrator Feels So Damn Good.”
Psychology Today: “Vibrators: Myths vs. Truth.”
Sexual and Relationship Therapy : “Genital vibration for sexual function and enhancement: best practice recommendations for choosing and safely using a vibrator.”
Women’s Health: “6 Things Every Woman Should Know About Using a Vibrator.”
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Ashley Mateo has over a decade's worth of experience covering fitness, health, travel, and more for publications including the WSJ, Men's Journal, Women's Health, and more.

More than half of all women use a vibrator, but like the female orgasm itself, a lot of mystery surrounds these buzzy sex toys. Are vibrators only good for masturbation, or can they also make coupled sex more satisfying? Who invented the Rabbit vibe, and why is it shaped like a cute little animal? And is it true that relying on a vibrator too often can make your vagina permanently numb?

We took these and other pressing questions to the experts and compiled this list of the 11 most important and fascinating vibrator facts every woman needs to know.

Physician George Taylor gets credit for the invention; his original circa-1869 device was designed to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety in women, then known collectively as the medical condition "hysteria," sexologist Carol Queen, PhD, curator of the Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum , tells Health .

"Hysteria was treated by vulval or clitoral massage and later vibration, which would bring women 'to the point of hysterical paroxysms of relief,'" she says. By the turn of the century, vibrators were made available to consumers. In the early 1900s, you could even find them in the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog.

In 1968, the Hitachi Magic Wand, marketed as a "personal massager," hit store shelves. That same year, New York-based artist Betty Dobson used the wand in a sexually explicit exhibition. In 1975, she brought the device to workshops where she taught women how to masturbate. The Hitachi folks wasn't thrilled about that, so now it's sold without any company branding.

The sex toy Sex and the City made famous was invented by Vibratex in 1984. The Japan-based company opted for the rabbit shape to get around a rule prohibiting manufacturers from making vibrators. It was first sold stateside in 1993 at Babeland in Seattle.

More than half of the female population uses a vibrator—but why? "They're reliable and they never tire, as long as you have a charging cord or fresh batteries," sexologist Megan Stubbs tells Health . The other thing is, only 18% of women orgasm from penetration alone, research shows. A vibrator offers the clitoral stimulation that's necessary for most women to climax.

Vibrators "act as power tools for intense orgasms," Jenni Skyler, PhD, certified sex therapist, sexologist, and licensed marriage and family therapist for sex toy site AdamEve.com , tells Health . "Especially for busy, tired, stressed, or lower-libido women, a vibrator kicks arousal into gear way faster than most any other means."

It's not just single ladies treating themselves to battery-powered Os. A survey by Adam & Eve found that 50% of married women use vibrators. Meanwhile, just 29% of single women do , according to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine .

Those numbers may sound surprising, but remember: "The ranks of unmarried women include those who haven't had sex at all," says Queen. So vibrators may not even be on the radar of less experienced women. Otherwise, "married women may use a vibrator to shrink the 'orgasm gap': the fact that during partner sex, men tend to climax more often than women do," says Queen.

According to that same Journal of Sexual Medicine study: 80% of women and 91% of men who had used a vibrator at some point copped to enjoying it with a partner. "Vibrators are a fun addition to erotic play," says Queen. "They can be a creative 'let's switch it up' rut-buster, or they can help women come when partner sex doesn't." And FYI, vibration feels good to men, too.

Vibrator-induced numbness, however, is pretty rare—and it's not permanent . Just 11% of women reported experiencing "occasional numbness" from vibrator use , according to the Journal of Sexual Medicine data, but only 3% felt it frequently.

If you experience it, try adjusting the settings or changing the angle or position of your vibrator and see if that gets rid of the pins and needles. Or just take a break and let your body reset, Sherry Ross, ob-gyn and author of She-Ology , previous told Health .

There's really no danger in "overusing" a vibrator, and in fact women who regularly enjoy time with a buzzy device are way more likely to have had an ob-gyn checkup during the past year and to have self-examined their lady parts during the previous month, the study data found. Regular gynecological exams and self-checks are important aspects of maintaining optimum sexual health.

Let's say you're shopping for a new vibrator in a store and you come across one you think you like. How are you going to know if it offers the right kind of stimulation for your pleasure? Here's a workaround that won't get you arrested. "The best way to test a vibrator in public is to touch it to the tip of your nose," suggests Stubbs. "The high concentration of nerve endings will give you a good idea of how it will feel on your sensitive areas."

When you're shopping for a vibe, opt for silicone over any other material. "It's easy to clean and not a permeable material," advises Queen. Permeable or porous materials (like jelly vibes) can collect dirt and bacteria, "which can then be transferred to the vagina and create an imbalance or even an infection," warns Skyler.

Whatever material yours is made from, make sure you clean it regularly to cut down on the potential for infection. After each use, "use soap and water or anti-bacterial sprays," recommends Skyler. And here's something amazing: a silicone vibrator can even go in the dishwasher.

Is your vibe broken or past its prime? No matter what it's made of, just trash it. While most vibrator materials are recyclable, says Queen, "most municipalities in North America will not recycle vibrators because they are considered a biohazard," explains Skyler. "And for most sex stores, it tends to cost more to recycle old toys than just dump it and make a new one." Kudos for wanting to be sustainable, but you're better off channeling those eco-friendly aspirations into another area of your life.

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The 55 Best Vibrators, According to Sex Experts
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Kasandra Brabaw is a health and sex journalist living in Brooklyn. Her work has been features at Health, SELF, Refinery29, Prevention, and Space.com.
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Intensely horny? Good news: we've got the best vibrators you can buy. There are more than a dozen reasons masturbation is good for you : it can not only help you destress but can also boost your mood and potentially help you fall asleep faster. Masturbation can also increase your libido, make period cramps feel better, and let’s be honest, using a sex toy can feel like a workout, too.
Although fingers are an excellent sex toy , many of us turn to vibrators for our masturbation needs. “Rocking your hips, arching your back, grinding against your toy,” whatever you do, sex educator Luna Matatas says to “give it” to your vibrator rather than using your vibe to “give it to you.” But to really get into it, you have to have the right vibrator. The best vibrators come in a number of different styles, with more or less powerful motors, and come in materials ranging from hard metal to soft silicone. Finding the right vibrator for you can take some experimentation.
Besides masturbation, using sex toys with a partner can increase pleasure for both parties and invite a sense of playfulness into the bedroom (or bathroom, or kitchen…). “There are lots of couples that are looking for vibrators to use together,” says Jenn Mason, founder and owner of WinkWink , a Washington–based, women-owned sex shop. “Sometimes the instinct is to go for something really small and discreet for your first time, but I always encourage people to think about getting something that's a little bit bigger if they're using it with a partner, because it has a higher chance of success and is easier to find the right spot.”
If you’re looking to expand your collection from that tiny bullet vibe you picked up at Spencer’s years ago, if you’re a sex toy novice , or you and your partner are looking for a few to try together, you may be unsure how to navigate the many, many options. We tapped a group of sex experts to get their read on the best vibrators for people with vulvas. But Mason notes that most—if not all—of these will feel good on a penis or around other erogenous zones, too. See all of our expert-recommended sex toy picks right here.
All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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