QUESTION: It’s 2022 and ‘sexual wellness’ is everywhere. But what does that mean, really?

1.       What do you think the term ‘sexual wellness’ means in 2022?

Sexual wellness has becoming somewhat synonymous with self-care these days. It’s about embracing and investing in your pleasure without shame. It’s a big step away from the purity culture, shame-based views of sexuality we’ve had in the past. We’re by no means free from the shackles of our religious roots, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Sexual wellness has become a mainstream term to express the need for pleasure and sexuality as a means to maintain a healthy and balanced life overall.  

Why we need sexual wellness.

Sexual wellness is definitely something we need. Our sexuality is an innate part of our humanity. It deserves to be embraced, celebrated, and nurtured. When we fully accept and enjoy our sexuality, we’re the most powerful we can be. Ignoring sexual wellness is cutting off a piece of yourself and that can lead to great distress in al areas of life. 

Orgasm have been shown to increase overall wellness. The decrease anxiety, help with sleep, and help you maintain a healthy immune system. We should all be having more orgasms.

Where the industry is heading.

I expect the industry will continue to grow and be more widespread and available to the mass market, as this seems to be the trends we're seeing. With the Covid 19 pandemic, many sex toy companies saw sales going up 300%+ - which seems to indicate that people have become more sexually adventurous with less social interaction.

We're seeing a lot of major celebrities like Dakota Johnson and Demi Levato becoming the bran reps for companies like Maude and We-Vibe, which is very cool to see. It's a bit trite to see celebrities being the latest peddlers of sex toys and there has been fair criticism about this, but I'm just happy to see more eyes on pleasure. It's something we all need more of. I'm confident we'll be seeing a lot more sexual wellness products in major stores like Boots and Superdrug as the years progress.

A few concerns I have about the sexual wellness market.

There are two big concerns as far as I'm concerned. The sexual wellness industry is worth billions of dollars and, as such, there is a big consumer and capitalist drive behind the companies making pleasure products. This concerns me in that some companies are making low-quality products, often from harmful ingredients (such as sugar in lubes and jelly for toys). It worries me that there are so many companies out there making wonderful, gender neutral products - but are often overshadowed by bigger companies who can make cheaper products that aren't as good. Between the low-quality products and the lack of sex education, it puts the consumer at a big disadvantage. If you don't know what products are good and which ones are garbage, you can't make an informed choice about which products are best for you.

Secondly, when it comes to sexual wellness apps, my biggest concern is privacy. Lots of these "sex therapy" apps have a lot of potential to help consumers, but this data is so sensitive and personal that I worry how good encryption is, especially if it's a small startup company. 

XOXO GIGI

Part of this blog first appeared as an interview with The Independent.