Written by Cuddles @ 2:21 pm

You’re probably wondering to yourself right now, “what do bellybuttons have to do with sex?”.  Well, beyond the important umbilical reminder that penis-vagina sex can sometimes result in babies, not much.  But as far as this innie vs. outtie discussion is concerned, expanded condom choice for boys and girls is what counts.

More commonly referred to (and marketed as) the female condom, this innie condom can be inserted into the vaginal canal and serve as an effective barrier method, guarding against an unplanned pregnancy or unwelcome infection.  But as is often the case, sex supplies aren’t as beholden to gendered uses as we are.  Affectionately called the bottom condom by advocates for safer boy-on-boy action, it can be used anally to prevent sexually transmitted infections.  Of course sexual orientation doesn‘t really matter as the innie condom is good for anyone wanting to engage in safer anal penetration.

I know, I know, you’re probably thinking: “Well, that’s nice, but so what?   Is it any better than a male condom?”.  Good question.  And the answer is, it depends.  Like any contraceptive option or barrier method, personal choice is paramount.  What’s nice about this internal condom is that it provides yet one more option in your safer sex arsenal.  But for those of you who lead with your left brain, here is a summary of pros and cons when it comes to innie condoms, courtesy of Planned Parenthood (see the full article here).

Pro: Allows the receptive partner more control in barrier use; Latex-free; Can be used with oil- and water-based lubricants; Insertion is easily incorporated into sex play.

Cons: Noisy (but a little lube goes a long way!); Can be difficult to insert; Slippage.

Now that you know the what and how of internal condoms, you probably are wondering about the ever-perplexing how of internal condom use.  Well fear not, there are instructions.  The Planned Parenthood site offers some good written instructions, so I won’t repeat them here.  But included below is a great how-to video put together by safer-sex advocates at the Condomerie in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

But before you check it out, here is one obvious and one not-so-obvious tip for internal condom use: Never, ever, reuse an internal condom and don’t pair this innie condom with an outtie (male) condom.  If you want to try this innie out, stop in The Smitten Kitten and pick one (or more) up!

Written by Leo @ 12:56 pm

Written by Frances Meowington @ 9:16 pm

last night i had the privilege of viewing food inc., a new hard-hitting  documentary by robert kenner about the food we eat, and the intentional shielding of information about where it comes from.  kenner examines how the extreme lack of regulation within the food industry and how the increase of factory farms has created a myriad of devastating effects. the growth and ridiculous profit of these companies have come at the expense of our health, society, and environment, and have routinely led to the unethical treatment of both animals and workers.  while most of the information wasn’t exactly new to me (i did not realize how much beef is soaked in ammonia however), the footage is unbelievable and i know there are a lot of people out there who would be startled to learn how their food is really produced.  you might be asking yourself “what does this business about food have to do with sex toys?”  the answer is quite a lot actually.

in both cases, there is no higher power that is looking out for you and your well being.  while technically there are government run regulatory agencies like the fda and usda that are supposed to be making sure that your food is safe for you and produced ethically, the last few presidential administrations have had very close ties to the food industry and so regulations have steadily become more and more relaxed.  farmers are reticent to talk about the disastrous issues within factory farming because the multinational corporations that they are working for keep them in massive debt, forcing them to “upgrade” their facilities with expensive equipment or risk  losing their contract.  so the production of food is completely veiled to the majority of consumers,  who then remain unknowing of the harms (e.coli, diabetes, and obesity to name a few) that can happen to them from simply trying to eat and survive.

in the adult industry, the production of sex toys is completely unregulated for safety standards.  toys are legally categorized as for “novelty use only,” so the producers aren’t held accountable for any health problems that may occur from the actual use of your toy.  this is a frightening reality, especially once you understand that toxic toys are everywhere.  the most common of toxins to be found in sex toys are phthalates, which are added to polyvinyl chloride (pvc) to make it more pliable, so in addition to sex toys they are often found in soft plastic products such as children’s toys, water bottles, and shower curtains.  vinyl sex toys made with phthalates are extremely inexpensive to produce and widely available on the market (just like food made with corn byproducts!) and many people enjoy the sensations that the soft texture is capable of producing.  however, phthalate-spiked pvc is not a stable inert compound, so these toys continually leach phthalates, which can cause a nasty odor, a grease-like film, and burning genital irritation. additionally, these toys are extremely porous, meaning they are impossible to clean or sterilize and any body fluid or bacteria that gets in will not be coming out, leaving people at risk for giving themselves or a partner a bacterial infection or transmittting an STI.

stores that sell toxic toys will tell you to put a condom over the toy, however that doesn’t stop the toy from breaking down, making it a lousy investment.  also, you aren’t really saving money with a cheaper jelly rubber toy, because condoms are expensive so you have to add that to the price of your toy.  and if everyone uses a condom every time they use a toxic toy, that will amount to billions of condoms that have needlessly ended up in landfills.

manufacturers of toxic toys take advantage of the potential embarrassment or shame the consumer might have about purchasing sex toys and being open about the accoutrements of their sex life.   these manufacturers only hope is that we as consumers won’t have the sex-positive gumption to question the materials that their toys are made out of,  and to demand  high quality, sustainable, and non-toxic toys that are designed for actual use, not for novelty.

fortunately smitten kitten founder jennifer was brave enough to say no to toxic toys and create the first sex toy store in america that only sells high quality toys that are non-toxic and non-porous.  she created the first consumer advocacy group, the coalition against toxic toys (catt), a non-profit organization that educates consumers about the sex toy industry, which materials are safe for toy use,  and how to identify a toxic toy.  jennifer and the smitten kitten have proven that consumers are ready to refuse poorly made toxic toys and openly demand quality from the adult industry.

while most of food inc. was depressing and disheartening, the end message is a simple and powerful one.  if the government isn’t going to make stricter regulations on the food industry to protect our health, then it is up to us as consumers to vote with our dollars about what foods we do and do not wish to exist in the marketplace.  the same is true for sex toys.  once we stop buying toys made of jelly rubber and cyberskin, they will cease to exist.

i dream of a day when america’s kitchens are full of organic, local foods, and their bedrooms are full of fun, non-toxic sex toys.  this dream can be a reality, all we have to do is come together as consumers and make our demands.

Written by Alley @ 6:54 pm

We’ve been having lots of good discussion about condom use in the porn industry lately, and I thought I would add ChiChi LaRue’s perspective on the topic to our blog conversation. Wrap it up!

And in case all this talk about HIV is feeling a little heavy, here’s a Kylie Minogue video to cleanse the palate.

Written by Cuddles @ 11:52 pm

A recent story in the LA Times reported that a female adult film performer tested positive for HIV this week.  California health officials also stated that there were 16 otherwise unpublicized positive cases among adult film stars in the last five years, bringing the official total to 22 new cases since 2004.  This is despite an outbreak that same year, which resulted in 5 new infections and a month long production shut down.

Release of this data has re-ignited an ongoing debate about industry regulation among public health officials, AIDS activists, the porn industry’s free speech lobby and adult film performer health care providers.  While all sides offer substance to consider in the debate, they brush over, or all together ignore, the relative success activists, industry leaders and performers have had in normalizing condom use in gay male porn.  And normalizing might be an understatement; many studios have adopted self-regulatory policies requiring condom use in films and barring actors who have appeared in so-called “barebacking” videos.

More than that, this recent event has brought to light the underlying misinformation and stigma still associated with HIV and AIDS in our society.  While the gay porn industry’s response was the product of prevention advocates’ organized efforts as well as an epidemic that hit the gay porn performance community hard, the continued inaction on the part of straight porn studios to normalize condom use plays into out-of-touch and dangerous misconceptions that HIV is a “gay disease”.

Take for instance the gay fetish “barebacking” videos (anal sex without barrier protection for those of you not in the know), which are treated as pariahs by big gay porn studios.  Videos depicting condomless anal sex are specially marketed using key words like “barebacking” or “raw” and aren’t stocked by health-loving, sex-positive retailers such as the Smitten Kitten.  This unique branding speaks to just how out-of-the-norm condomless sex is in the gay porn market.  But what is the hip slang for barebacking’s straight equivalent?  There isn’t one.

Condom use in straight porn is largely non-existent and industry leaders are quick to thump market research stating that straight people are turned-off by condom use and simply don’t want to see it.  More than that, straight porn executives play the first amendment card trying to trump calls for regulatory legislation or more mild industry-initiated reforms.  Of course straight porn studios have protections in place for performer health (namely, monthly testing), but data on new infections among Cali adult film stars suggest testing isn’t providing the same protection as correct and consistent condom use.

Regardless of legislation or self-regulation, a move to condom inclusion in straight porn could go along way in improving performer health and social norming barrier use on a larger scale.  Gay porn studios made the safer switch without intervening laws and didn’t lose consumers, save the small (but dedicated) bareback fetish crowd (the practice of safe condomless anal sex among monogamous couples is a different story, and fodder for a future post).  And while all of  us are free-thinking actors who can choose to play safe in the face of barrierless porn, the implicit message is that gay performers are the only folks at risk and straight folk need not worry.

As educated, empowered and positive sexual beings, we have the responsibility and the right to practice and expect safe sexual experiences.  As consumers and engaged citizens, we also have an opportunity to influence and demand that adult film producers honor actor safety and promote safer sex social norms.  Until studios and society recognize that unprotected straight sex poses a serious HIV risk, otherwise preventable infections will continue to occur and “hetero-immunity” myths to HIV will be tragically perpetuated.