Prevalence and characterization of the use of erotic toys in Colombian women

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence of sex toy use in women, characterize the most commonly used devices, and their effect on the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score. Material and methods: Multicenter crosssectional study. Women over 18 years of age with a stable partner, residing in Colombia, were included. Participants were recruited from the gynecological outpatient clinics of high-complexity private clinics in 21 cities across the country between 2019 and 2024. A sample size calculation was performed, and simple random sampling was used. The IFSF was applied. Socio-demographic characteristics, sexual orientation, use of sex toys, type of device used, individual or partner use, overall and domainspecific Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) score, were measured. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results: A total of 1,759 women were included, of whom 1,280 used sex toys, for a prevalence of use of 72.76%. Homosexual women used toys more frequently than heterosexual women. The mean IFSF score for sex toy users was 29.55 (standard deviation (SD) ± 9.12) and for non-users it was 27.43 (SD ± 8.59); (p = 0.027). The highest-scoring domain was orgasm (4.97 ± 1.29), followed by desire (4.95 ± 1.68), (p = 0,027). The most frequently used toys were the dilido (53.49%) and the vibrator (48.15%). Conclusions: The use of sex toys among Colombian women is a common practice, so their use should be investigated during gynecological consultations. Studies are needed to evaluate the sexual and reproductive health of women who use sex toys.