Burning Desire
Dear Mistress Maeve,
Something strange (and painful) happened to me the other day, and I'm hoping you might be able to explain it.
I have an expensive silicone dildo from a reputable sex-toy shop, but the other day, I decided to opt for variety. I grabbed a jelly-like toy that I bought a long time ago — but had never used — from the bedside table. About 30 seconds after I inserted it, my vagina started burning. I removed it immediately and washed with mild soup and water, but the burning continued for a couple of hours.
Needless to say, that toy is no longer on the menu, but can you help me figure out what happened?
Thanks,
Feelin' the Burn
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Dear Feelin' the Burn,
Unless you accidentally squeezed a packet of hot sauce into your bedside table, it's safe to assume you had an allergic reaction to the toy.
Many jelly and rubberlike toys are made using phthalates (chemicals used to plasticize everything from shower curtains to building materials). While the jury is still out on whether phthalates are harmful in and of themselves, it's a fact that toys made with phthalates are porous and can degrade over time, releasing chemicals that are harmful and irritating to our bodies. In fact, many reputable sex toy outlets, like Babeland.com, have stopped selling phthalate toys altogether.
Whenever possible, stick to non-porous sex toys like your trusty silicone dildo. If you insist on using jelly-like toys, either sheath them with a condom first or check out some of the new-fangled jelly toys made of elastomer (still porous and cannot be disinfected, but they're phthalate free).
Chemically balanced,
MM