My bubble was popped when a viewer e-mailed me after seeing an episode on my www.twentysomethingtv.com [1] website about sex toys and the myriad of products available. She informed me that there are a ton of dangers associated with different toys and gave me a list of things to look out for.

Jesus man! What's next? Will there be a report out soon telling us milk is toxic? Or that Santa was held at customs because his boot was ticking? Can I not even be alone, in the dark with my thoughts of Jason Lewis and my always dependable battery-operated bedroom buddy? Who knew that some sex toys could be just as dangerous as sleeping with some random you just met at the bar?!

The first thing that really surprised me is that you should think twice about buying products featuring well known porn stars on the packaging. I know.

You'd think a snapshot of someone in such a respected position would be a safe sign. But no.

Seems the majority of what you are paying for is the rights to the photograph rather then the quality of the product. Now, I am sure that some of you probably would have already thought of that. But I didn't even consider the fact that a company would sacrifice the quality of the product or that a porn star in the public eye would endorse something that could be dangerous to the health of the user.

After all, aren't they concerned about how that will reflect on them? What their fans will think? Their family? Well now that I think about it...nevermind.

Another red flag to watch out for is products that are rockin' the "Novelty Purposes Only" label. Consumers should equate this label with either horrific substandard quality and/or unsafe materials, a lose/lose situation really. Not only are you forking out serious coin for a substandard product, but you could still end up with a trip to the clinic! Not good ladies. Not good.

I think Madonna knew what was up when she proclaimed to be a material girl. One of the most important things you should look for when buying a new toy is the material it is made out of. First of all, silicone is where it's at!

It is the longest lasting, easiest to clean, hypoallergenic, warm to the touch, sterile, odor free, (because really-who wants that?) and resilient. Need another reason to buy silicone? Okay fine, it's also pretty cheap when you consider how long the toy will last. You can try to wear that sucker out and it will still keep blowing your mind!

Materials that you want to stay away from because they flat out sick are toys made out of jelly or plastic.

Jelly toys can be toxic and are always in a constant state of gassing, and gas is never a good thing when it comes to sex (see Episode 31: Bedroom Blunders).

Another reason not to buy toys made of jelly? Jelly absorbs everything it comes in contact with and is impossible to clean...absorbs everything it comes in contact with!?!? Think about that...yeah...no more jelly toys please. Okay? So jelly is fine on your toast in the morning but not on your crumpet at night.

And we can't forget about plastic...although it's not as bad as jelly, if you can avoid buying it I would. Plastic toys become brittle over time, once again making it tough to properly clean and isn't always the most comfortable when used for penetration.

There are so many other tips and precautions to look out for, I am really just scraping the surface here.

For more info check out our show at: www.twentysomethingtv.com [2] or go to www.womynsware.com [3]

So don't be discouraged girls because not unlike finding Mr. Right, if you're picky and ask the right questions, you'll end up with many
nights of pleasure instead of this thing that doesn't work and leaves you in pain. But that's for another time.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Peace,

Jill