Vibrator Sales Up -- Are Sex Toys A Woman's Best Friend?

Business is booming -- for the sex toy industry. It seems that erotic accessories are poised to become some of the world’s most popular gadgets, right up there with smartphones. The Daily Mail reported that UK sales of sex toys are projected to soar above £250 million this year (approximately 403 million dollars). And as of May 2011, consumers were spending an estimated $500 million a year on these products in North America, according to Scientific American.

It seems that sex toys are recession-proof. The economic downturn may even have fueled higher sales, Stefan Dallakian, owner of online sex toy distributor Paris Intimates, told CNBC last summer. “At a time when unemployment is high and bank account balances are low, people are passing the time by getting busy,”he said. The industry’s move online -- allowing for consumer anonymity -- has also helped to boost revenue.

But there may be another reason that the sex toy industry has flourished over the past few years. The Daily Mail attributes the boom to celebrities increasingly discussing their sexual proclivities in public forums, such as on Amanda de Cadenet’s “The Conversation” and an upcoming British television program called “More Sex Please, We’re British.” Fictional on-screen characters have also contributed to a more sex-toy-friendly atmosphere. Perhaps most notably, “Sex and the City” (during the pre-recession era) dedicated an entire episode to Charlotte’s discovery of the Pearl Rabbit vibrator, and the Maggie Gyllenhaal-helmed film “Hysteria,” about the history of the vibrator, will be released on May 18th.

Women as well as men have become increasingly comfortable with electronic devices in the bedroom. A survey released in November 2011 showed that 50 percent of Americans reported using vibrators, and 70 percent of men said that they were comfortable with the electronic device. The same survey showed that the majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “[vibrators are a] healthy part of many women’s sex lives.” Amen to that.