Always be careful what you put in your mouth. Sex toys have notably less dangerous chemicals in them than children's toys, according to a new report in Sweden.
The report by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (SCA) looked into the levels of harmful and restricted chemicals found in dildos, butt plugs, vibrating devices, and other plastic sex toys. They found that just one out of 44 sex toys contained a banned chemical. That stands in comparison to one of their previous studies in 2015 that found 15 percent of children’s toys contained banned chemicals in them.
That one naughty sex toy was a soft PVC plastic dildo that was found to contain prohibited levels of short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which are considered an environmental hazard and potentially carcinogenic. But fear not, the company behind that particular toy have now stopped producing it following the inspection.
Björn Malmström, a spokesperson for the SCA, told AFP that the disparity between adult toys and kids toys is because children’s toys are typically imported by smaller companies that have less power to make demands to manufacturers. They’re also more likely to be able to slip under regulation.
Of course, this study only looks at a select group of toys bought in Sweden and relates to European Union regulations. Nevertheless, it bodes well for the booming market of sex toys.
So, in the meantime, play happily! Unless it involves cheap action figures.