The role of technology in our everyday life cannot be overemphasized as its effect can be felt in almost all aspect of our society. Technological advancement and the rise of the internet and new media technologies have also exposed women to rapid changes in sexual behaviors, leading them to greater sexual freedom and attitude. Women are beginning to see sex not solely for the purpose of reproduction but also as a means of seeking sexual pleasure and enjoyment. Works have been done by scholars and authors to understand the sexual behavior and attitude of women in the United States (Herbenick et al, 2009; Herbenick et al, 2011, Lindberg and Singh, 2008). This study examined how the vibrator has affected how Adult American women view their sexuality. The study argued that the emergence and use of sex toys by Adult American women have changed the view of their sexuality and their attitude towards sex as they now begin to see sex as a means of pleasuring and enjoying themselves.
The significance of this study lies in the fact that it will add to the body of literature on women’s sexuality and will help to explain how the various sex toys particularly vibrators have helped shaped the view of Adult American women on sex and sexual pleasure. Despite the global attention that women studies have had in the last four decades, women sexuality (sexual behavior and sexual experiences) is still one aspect of women studies that have not been given enormous academic concentration. This is because the patriarchal nature of most societies in the world has tied women sexuality reproduction and family management. However, with the advancement of various sex technologies and sex toys like vibrators, women are beginning to see their sexuality in a different light.
WOMEN’S SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
Sex and sexuality are inherent to the human nature. Dawgert (2012) defines sexuality as the emotional, spiritual, physical and sexual attraction or desire an individual has for persons of the same gender (gay or lesbian), another gender (heterosexual) or both/all genders (bisexual) and how these set of people organize their lives around these desires. The term sexuality can also be used to refer to a person’s sexual orientation, behavior and ability to have erotic familiarities. It also encompasses sex, gender role and identities, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality can be expressed and experienced in many forms ranging from our sense of attractiveness and attraction to others, sexual feelings and activities, enjoyment of our body either through masturbation or sexual intercourse to fantasies, thoughts, attitudes, relationships and desires. It is often influenced by certain socio-cultural, economic, political and psychological factors (WHO, 2004).
Foucault in his book titled ‘The History of Sexuality’ claimed that the history of sexuality is grouped into two distinct stages owing to their basic features. According to him, the first occurred in the 17th century and was characterized by great prohibitions ranging from the exclusive promotion of marital sex to the importance of decency and the concealment of the body. The second stage took place in the 20th century and is characterized by the reduction of the various repression mechanisms and the lifting of the various taboos concerning sexuality particularly with regards to children (Foucault, 1978).
Throsby and Hodges (2009) stated that women sexuality has always been built in such a way that the perfect woman is a virgin, wife and mother material, a sexual object and not an active agent of male sexual desire. Her duty entails providing pleasure as against seeking pleasure for herself. Like Throsby and Hodges, in her book titled ‘The Technology of Orgasm’, Maines argued that in ancient times, women were not allowed to masturbate or pleasure themselves because of the belief that it will cause damage to her health. It was believed that sexual intercourse from the men alone is sufficient to bring women to orgasm and that any woman that could not get to orgasm from heterosexual intercourse was suffering from mental or physical damage (Maines, 1999). However, clinical research studies done by authors like Symons and Kinsey propose that women did not reach orgasm during sexual intercourse as easily as men and that, they often need additional stimulation of the clitoris, usually done through masturbation, to produce female orgasm (Symons, 1979; Kinsey, 1953). Owing to the inability of women to change their sexual makeup, they employed a variety of tactics to allow them achieve consistent orgasm during coitus, that is, sexual intercourse with men. The vibrator therefore emerged as one of those mechanism employed by women to achieve orgasm.
THE USE OF VIBRATORS BY ADULT AMERICAN WOMEN
In the early period, sex toys (vibrators) were used only within the clinical environment because women sexuality was seen as a disorder. The vibrator is a sex toy used in the body for the production of erotic stimulation especially in women and its emergence can be traced to the late 19th century when it was an electromechanical medical instrument (Maine, 1999; Freire, 2013; Davis and Gerl, 2014). According to Maine (1999), it was developed to relief the physical sexual and emotional tension culminating in orgasm through the massage of the external pelvic region and as a treatment for the treatment of female hysteria. Freire (2013) argued that the vibrator appeared in the 19th century as an electromechanical medical instrument used by doctors as a physical massage therapy to enable women feel pleasure and orgasm, acting also as an effective way for doctors to increase4 the number of patients received daily. Vibrators were also used by midwives and physicians to attend to women seeking massage of their genitals to enable them reach a ‘hysterical paroxysm’, what is also known today as orgasm (Davis and Gerl, 2014). From the 20th century beginning in the early 1920s, vibrators left the clinical environment and found its way in the home when it was being marketed in magazines for its beauty and health benefits (Maine, 1999).
The emergence of various sex technologies in the 21st century has led the vibrator to evolve from being a medical instrument to being an instrument used in producing orgasm in women. During this period, women began to come to the realization that their sexuality could be expressed outside from the traditional reproductive standard. The advancement of sex technologies over the past decades have also led to an increase in the popularity and usage of sex toys especially among Adult American women. Sex toys (vibrators) are devices and objects designed primarily to enhance and facilitate human sexuality especially the aspect of human sexual pleasure.
The United States is a major and appealing market for the purchase and consumption of vibrators especially among women. This is because of the high level of sexual activity among women in the United States. According to Lindberg and Singh (2008), 36% of women aged 20-44 are single and 9 in 10 of these women are sexually experienced. Most American women now see sex as being an important aspect of their wellbeing and thus often use sex toys as a new way of increasing their pleasure in the bedroom. Adam and Eve, a major sex toy shop, did a review of the most popular sex toys purchased in 2012 and the vibrator was found to be the highest at 19.2 percent (Davis and Gerl, 2014). A research study carried out by Herbenick et al (2009) also showed that more than one in two women in the United States have made use of a vibrator and that about 76% of women in the United States use vibrators to build a healthy sex life. In another research, it was gathered that 44% of women between the ages of 18 and 60 have used a sex toys and also, that 20% of women masturbate at least once a week and the ones that masturbate own and use a sex toy (Davis and Gerl, 2014).
It has been clinically noted that most women need a form of clitoral stimulation to get to orgasm during sexual intercourse and also that the stimulation of their genitals before sex also make sex experience more satisfying and alluring for them. The women use vibrators either for masturbation, foreplay or for sexual intercourse. Majority of adult American women claimed that the use of sex toys save them the stress of emotional attachment and heartbreak because they are able to pleasure themselves without having to worry about the opinion of the sexual partner. The women that use sex toys for foreplay are of the opinion that it makes their sex life exciting, alluring and spicy. It also enables them to determine the type of sexual sensation and stimulation that they are willing to participate in. The categories of adult American women that reported using vibrators for sexual intercourse says that it is a great way for them to boost their sexual experiences. For most Adult American women, the use of sex toys particularly the vibrator has helped them in building a stronger sexual relationship and has also enabled them in producing enjoyable sexual stimulation and orgasm.
Other benefits of sex toys and vibrators recorded by Adult American women is that it helps in solving psychological issue, health and gynecological problems. The tightness and dryness of the vagina following menopause can make sexual experience painful so vibrators can help such women in alleviating their pain and can also act as vaginal lubricants
Despite the enormous benefits of sex toys to Adult American women, there are some group of persons that are of the belief that the emergence of sex technologies, sex toys and the vibrator in particular has led to reduced normal heterosexual relationship and lesser sexual intercourse among people of opposite sex because they no longer see the need for a male sexual partner since they are able to attain orgasm on their own. In a study carried out by Herbenick et.al (2009), it was found out that while most Adult American women were willing and eager to spice up their sex life with the use of vibrators and other sex toys, some other group of women claimed that they were not comfortable to be seen using vibrators owing to the negative stigma associated with the use of the various sexual aids (Davis and Gerl, 2014). Other group of women believe that sex toys and vibrators often lead to addiction and leads to degradation of the natural way of heterosexual intercourse.
Conclusion
The advent of sex technologies in the 21st century led to changes in their sexual behavior and attitudes of Adult American women. Advancement in technologies also altered the patriarchal and traditional attitudes towards female sexuality and sexual behavior. Far from women being seen as sexual objects, they are now embracing their sexuality and seeing sex as an important aspect of their lives and as a way of improving the relationship that they have with their own body. In all, from the above analysis, it can be seen that the emergence of sex toys and vibrators have changed Adult American women’s view of their sexuality and their attitude towards sex as they now begin to see sex as a means of pleasuring and enjoying themselves and not just as a means of reproduction.