Yesterday I sent out a tweet asking the general public to help spread the word about Sex Siopa, as finding decent places to advertise is really difficult for adult shops. I was overwhelmed by the positive response. One of my favourite blogs, Broadsheet, even chimed in to say "We've come a long way." I then started getting tons of folks asking "Shawna, what the flip is a 'body safe' or 'healthy' toy?" Good question. "Body-safe" refers to the toy being made from materials known to be safe for internal use. Silicone, hard plastic, tempered glass, ceramic, surgical steel. These are all examples of body-safe materials. Unfortunately there are no international regulations on what sex toys can be made of, and because testing and FDA approval for "medical devices" is so expensive, many toy companies will opt to use cheaper materials, some of which have been linked to health issues ranging from allergic reactions to cancer. The main one is plasticizers found in jelly toys called Pthalates, but that's not the only nasty thing out there, so we only stock toys from companies that are known for their body safe ethos. It may sound a bit grandiose, but I hope to change the way we, as a nation, talk about sex and about our sex toys in particular. Or at the very least, shift the conversation in a sex-positive direction. It seems silly to me that we talk about our gadgets all the time. We spend so much time researching and comparing mobile phones, computers, cars, wireless devices, etc. but we wouldn't think to do research or invest in the products that we come in the most intimate of contact with. And there's so much out there to choose from. We really should be having these conversations. If you're looking for a new toy or accessory, I hope that I've helped to make the choice a little bit easier by only stocking body-safe products, but if you still need help picking one out, please feel free to email me at hello@sexsiopa.com. I'm happy to make recommendations.