Most Men Aren't Actually Threatened By Your Vibrator

A new study shows vibrators can improve ladies’ sexual function beyond just giving them more orgasms. And contrary to stereotype, most men are totally okay with that.

LiveScience reports that researchers surveyed 2,056 women and 1,047 men about their attitudes on vibrators, asking them whether they felt vibrators were “a healthy part of many women’s sex lives” or were “intimidating to women’s partners.” About half the subjects agreed with positive statements about the sex toys, while just 10% agreed with negative statements. Women who had a positive view of vibrators and had also used one themselves in the last 30 days reported a variety of sexual benefits, including more arousal, lubrication, sexual satisfaction, and orgasms, and less pain during sex. And for the most part, dudes did not begrudge them these benefits. Thirty-seven percent of women thought men felt intimidated by women’s vibrator use, but 70% of men disagreed.

Of course, it’s possible that men say one thing on a survey and another in bed, but the fact that a majority of men say they have no problem with vibrators is a step in the right direction. It may well be that a small number of vibe-hating dudes are giving other straight guys a bad name — after all, many men would probably be quite happy for their partners to experience more arousal and orgasms. There’s an interesting catch to those benefits for ladies, though — only women who have positive beliefs about vibrators seem to get them. It makes sense that if you feel guilty or dirty for using a sex toy — or if you’re worried your partner will be mad at you — it might not improve your sex life at all.

Study author Debra Herbenick says clinicians need to take this into account: “The finding should guide health care providers, who might be reading in journals or hearing at conferences that vibrator use is helpful, to recommend for anything from difficulty with orgasm to low desire, that it’s not as simple as telling a woman, ‘You should go use a vibrator.'” Doctors also need to consider women’s beliefs and values — and those of their partners. And men who are fine with their ladyfriends’ vibrator use might want to let them know that — they’ll likely be rewarded later on.