What you may not know about PVC and your sexual health

Buzz and Blossom is a Canadian adult toy store dedicated to body-safety, inclusion, accessibility, and education. Visit us at www.buzzandblossom.ca

In 2018, it might be surprising to know that not all sex toys are safe. Even more surprising is that the entire industry of sex toys isn’t even regulated. This means that, unfortunately, even the most trusted companies can use materials in their toys that are harmful.

Today, I want to show you how to read sex toy product descriptions and how to be critical about the information you are being given. The material we are looking at today is PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is a plastic used in the making of some sex toys.

Vinyl chloride is on the Government of Canada’s Toxic Substances List. It is used in the production of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and is a known carcinogen (causes cancer) with no safe exposure levels (Government of Canada, 2016). PVC use has been restricted in the production of children’s toys in Canada, as the plastic contains phthalates and certain phthalates “may cause reproductive and developmental abnormalities in young children when soft vinyl products containing phthalates are sucked or chewed for extended periods” (Government of Canada, 2014). Using this information, I’d like to highlight a product that I came across while browsing an…