Safer Sex with Toys: Gettin' Jiggy with Jelly

The first sex toy I ever purchased was from Good Vibrations, the CrystalJelly Deluxe g-spot vibrator. Thinking about it brings me back to some good times, like the first time I realized that I could ejaculate. I still ID’d as a girl back then, so this was pretty huge. It happened by accident of course and I was most confused by the whole thing, but after some dedicated online research I came to realize that I wasn’t, in fact, pissing myself. I read up on the literature (don’t I sound so academic?) and decided that clearly I needed to learn a little more about this whole g-spot thing.

So the Crystal Jelly Deluxe it was. It advertised the “perfect size and shape” for g-spot exploration and I was sold. I think I had it express mailed to me and there was no turning back—I was hooked.

I didn’t really know all that much back then about safer sex or sex toys in general; what I knew is that I liked what I was sticking up there. It felt good.

Some years later I started to hear all of these warnings, mysterious whisperings about how jelly toys are bad for one’s health. To be honest, my first reaction to these overheard warnings was something akin to, “Fuck that! It’s just anti-sex preachy moralists trying to oppress me and keep me from my own sexual pleasure!” I was angry—could my beloved Crystal Jelly Deluxe be bad for me?

It turns out that there are some concerns about jelly rubber sex toys but I’m hesitant to jump on the bandwagon of people insisting that nobody buy such toys. As with any choice, there are pros and cons. Let’s check some of them out:

The bottom line is that jelly rubber toys contain rubber softeners called “phthalates”, exposure to which have been linked to various health problems including damage to the reproductive system, hormone disruptions, and cancer.

We all have our priorities when purchasing toys—some of us shop based on price, some based on color, some based on function. No matter what choices we make we have the right to information that can help keep us safe.

Phthalates are found in other places aside from sex toys, including many common household products and baby products. Interestingly, the research about phthalate toxicity has been done with these sorts of items and not sex toys. Because of the lack of research done regarding sex toys it is impossible to say what the short- and long-term effects of using jelly rubber toys are, but it’s concerning enough to be known such that we can all make informed and safe choices for ourselves.

By nature, jelly toys are porous and fairly squishy—it’s the squishy feeling that so many people love, after all! Because the material is porous it’s important to note that jelly toys cannot be disinfected and can trap bacteria. Unlike other materials like silicone or glass, jelly toys cannot be boiled to disinfect them.

The quickest, safest, and easiest way to stay safe with jelly toys is to use a condom with them. Depending on the toy and what you’re doing with it, it may be appropriate to put a standard condom on the toy, or it may work better to use a Reality “female” condom. A note for the creatively or non-female inclined: the Reality condom can be used in other places besides a vagina. It’s also made of polyurethane for those folks who are allergic to latex.

The use of some kind of barrier between you and a jelly toy will not only make clean-up a breeze and keep little bacteria buggers from making a home in your toy, but it will also keep your body safer from the questionable chemicals present in the toys.

Questionable chemicals? Links to possible cancer? Why the hell, you may ask, would one ever buy a jelly toy? Keep in mind that for many folks, price is an important factor when deciding which toys to purchase. Jelly toys are an economical choice for many people on a budget who are looking to get some more sex toys in their lives. Jelly also has a nice feel to it, squishy but not too squishy. It’s comfortable.

Though complete disinfection is not possible, jelly toys can be cleaned with water and either a mild soap or toy cleaner and should be stored in a cool, dry place away from other toys. Strong soaps may contain oils that can lead to jelly toys disintegrating and falling apart over time. Jelly has been known to react with other sorts of toys and the last thing we’d want in our sex toy treasure chests is some kind of horrible chemical reaction resulting in melted toys. Jelly does not have the shelf-life of some other sex toy materials, but if properly cared for you can enjoy your toy for years.

You may be wondering at this point how you can tell what your toy is made from; after all, it may not always be apparent. Sure, you can probably tell if your toy is glass, but once you get into squishy-ish, plastic-ish looking stuff the call may not be so easy to make. One way to get an idea of what is in your toy is to give it a sniff. If it smells strongly of chemicals, toss a condom on there to be safe. Many toys are artificially scented in an attempt to cover up the strong “new shower curtain” smell. That’s generally a cue to take a little caution when pleasuring yourself or a partner/fuck-buddy/friend with benefits/person you’re sleeping with at that moment.

Jelly toys come under many names, so be sure to take care when shopping for your toys. Cyberskin is a popular material which has many of the same cautions as straight-up jelly toys, so caution should also be used.

As always, an educated consumer is a safer consumer. We all have our priorities when purchasing toys—some of us shop based on price, some based on color, some based on function. No matter what choices we make we have the right to information that can help keep us safe. I still look fondly back upon my Crystal Jelly Deluxe. Knowing what I know now, I’d still buy the same toy again, only this time I would be making sure to put a condom on it every time.

If you want to learn more about the safety of jelly toys, there are some great online resources and employees in reputable, sex-positive sex shops should be able to answer questions, as well. Our Sex-Kitten.Net Boutique has information online regarding jelly toy safety, and is a good place to start to look for information. Happy and safe fucking to all!