Page 32 - AVN May 2018

BUSINESS
FROM ‘O’ TO ‘OMG’
Sex toys penetrate the sexual wellness arena
SEXPLORATIONS | By Anka Radakovich
Above, left, the KegelSmart, a more intelligent way to kegel your way to better, bigger O’s. Right, CalExotics’ Inspire collection, a collaboration with the organization Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
Medical device
companies and sex
toy manufacturers are
probing the sexual
wellness space, with
products that go beyond
kegel balls to improve
women’s sexual health as
they improve their sex lives. Although there is no such
thing as a “bad” orgasm, these devices turn the big O
into the OMG!
Making O’s More Intense
Science meets sex in an ingenious medical device
called Intensity by Pour Moi. Invented by In Control
Medical, a medical device company, it was originally
created for patients who suffered from urinary
incontinence after childbirth or surgery. But soon
after patients started using it, they noticed its “vaginal
toning” and tightening effects. They also discovered the
device had an unexpected side effect: intense orgasms!
Who doesn’t want that as a medical “side effect”?
The invention works by specifically targeting the
Kegel muscles in the pelvic floor, mildy zapping the
muscles with an electrical pulse from the smooth metal
panels inside. It pinpoints where the pubococcygeus
muscles actually are, so a woman is not just working
out her lower abs or butt muscles instead. The pulses
target those. The Intensity is intense. And the rabbit
clitoral vibrator on top works double duty to give her
pleasure while the gizmo gives the muscles inside her
hoo-ha a good workout. It takes a few weeks to see an
improvement, but women who have tried it say their
orgasms are stronger, deeper, and last longer.
32 | AVN.com | 5.18
“Intensity strengthens pelvic floor muscles quickly and efficiently in the privacy of your home,” says Pour
Moi, alleviating “stress incontinence”—bladder leakage when you laugh, sneeze, cough, or exercise. Good
news for anyone who wants to jump rope or yuk it up without peeing themselves.
The Smart Way to Kegel
Like a personal trainer for a woman’s pelvic floor, the “Kegel Smart” from Intimina takes all the guesswork
out of doing kegels. And it does all the work. Dr. Monica Sophocles, a gynecologist and spokesperson for
the company, says, “One in three women experience pelvic floor issues sometime in their lifetime.” The
KegelSmart can help, she says, “if you are recovering from childbirth, you are at the age of menopause, or if
you do high-impact sports like running or CrossFit.” As someone who started doing CrossFit again, I could
have used one of these things when I almost peed myself when the Nazi trainer made me do 100 box jumps.
“Unfortunately,” says Dr. Sophocles, “women start to do kegels and after they don’t get results they quickly
become disappointed.” The KegelSmart “coaches your kegels.” The exerciser works by tracking your progress
in five levels, tracking it right on the device each time you use it, so you know if it’s working. As the user
progresses, results include tighter lady bits and better orgasms. All the user has to do it contract when it
vibrates and rest when it stops. “Just turn it on and insert,” they say. Sorta like a penis.
The company smartly markets the product to athletes and runners, which extends the market to all ages of
women. The company also has expanded its reach to the mainstream market by selling the device at large drug
stores like CVS and Walgreens, whose tagline is at the “corner of healthy and happy,” but with this thing it’s
now at the corner of healthy and a happy ending.
Sex After Breast Cancer
As many as 50 to 90 percent of women who have had breast cancer report sexual issues including vaginal
dryness, decreasing physical comfort during intercourse, and weak pelvic floor muscles. CalExotics teamed
with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), a nonprofit dedicated to educating women about the sexual after-
effects of breast cancer treatments.
The CalExotics “Inspire” line addressed these issues with sexual wellness products including Kegel
exercises, arousers, wands, a vaginal dilator kit (for decreased vaginal flexibility), breast massager (for sore
breasts), and an intimate teaser. Products were developed after researching what women identified as their
most common sexual problems post breast cancer recovery.
Jean A. Sachs, CEO of LBBC, says, “Living Beyond Breast Cancer hopes that the Inspire line drives
awareness and discussion of the sexual side effects.” The line was designed by women for women. “The
positive effects of taking care of one’s sexual health are well-documented and these products will help support
women as they rebuild their sexual selves going forward,” said Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of CalExotics.
To learn more about Inspire, visit CalExotics.com. To learn more about LBBC, visit LBBC.org.relationships.