The sexual health market has been exceptionally hot in the last 10 years, and as of 2023 the market has reached a staggering $32 billion or more. The interest in sexual health surpasses any other time in history, and this growth trend continues without a hint of abatement from 2019, with the market's valuation expected to surpass $80 billion by 2030. One of the things that has to be mentioned is the fact that the pandemic that started in 2020 has played a major role in advancing this expansion by pushing more singles and couples to invest more in their sexual exploration and experience. During the blockade, many singles explored sex alone at home, while couples seized their time together to experiment with different sexual activities to enrich their experience.
Yet no matter how much the industry grows, people are still conservative about these products, influenced by social norms and religious culture. I consider the United States to be an open-minded country, but at a time when sex toys, lubricants, and other sexual products are so abundant, 73 percent of Americans still consider sex toys to be taboo, and 66 percent don't feel comfortable discussing these topics with others.
Sex toys are more popular than ever
As of the end of the 2022 blockade, the sex toy craze is at an all-time high. It's as if people's love for sex toys has experienced a COVID-19 and started to explode, with more and more people in starting to buy sex toys on the internet or in person at stores. Reports show that more than 160 million Americans own at least one sex toy - does that include you? And 30% of those people use sex toys on a weekly basis.
Interestingly, slightly more women seem to own sex toys than men, with 73% of men and 82% of women owning sex toys. Indeed, there is also a wider variety of female sex toys on the market, with vibrators being the most common sex toy for both men and women.
Moreover, apart from sex toys, spending on sexual health products like lubricants and condom enhancers has also risen significantly. It's clear that people are realizing the importance of sexual health to their overall health. With 40% of sex toy owners saying they will spend more than $100 on sexual health products, people are increasingly concerned about their sexual health and pleasure.
Another interesting thing is that people seem to be more interested in moderately priced sex toys. Data shows that consumers are buying sex toys in the $40-$100 price range. Sex toys in this price range may not be top of the line in terms of performance and materials, but they are safe enough and have enough features to satisfy most people, and most importantly, they are affordable. Our best-selling inya rose toy is the star of the show in this price range.
The sexual health market has also undergone some changes
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people report many changes in their sexual experiences. Couples who have experienced social alienation together have begun to slowly embrace novelty, experiment with new sexual positions and the incorporation of sex toys into their intimate lives, and have begun to proactively seek out ways to eliminate the monotony of their sex lives.
As the demand for sex toys and sexual health products has surged, brands and retailers have adapted in response to these changes. For example, traditional drugstores and online retailers in the U.S. have created special areas for sexual health products, offering a variety of sex toys and other sexual health products for customers to choose from. In the past, people had limited access to sex toys, buying them through specialty stores or directly from manufacturers. However, after 2020, major retail chains such as Target, Walmart, and CVS have added sex toys to their assortments. You can now see sex toys on the shelves of major supermarkets. Even these supermarkets are launching major popular sex toy brands on their online stores, giving consumers a wider range of access and options for sex toys.
Taboo voices still exist?
Despite the success of the sex toy and healthcare industries, they are still surrounded by taboos in today's society. According to Statista, 66% of consumers prefer to buy sex toys online, and almost all online sex toy stores advertise discreet packaging and shipping. It speaks volumes that consumers continue to demand privacy and seclusion for sexual pleasure. There was a survey on sex toys that included a question like this: what do you think is the main thing that stops you from buying sex toys? More than 70 respondents said they were worried that these toys would cause them embarrassment. Despite the many concerns, there are still a lot of people who have a keen interest in the sexual healthcare industry and have expressed a willingness to try it out.
So why does the stigma around sexual health persist when there is a clear demand for erotic products and they are actively seeking sexual knowledge, exploration and empowerment?
Sexual liberation doesn't happen overnight it's a slow process, as you can see with Sex and the City and Fifty Shades of Grey, which reflect that things are moving in the right direction. But one of the root problems is that the American sex education system is flawed in that it focuses on "abstinence until marriage" sex education rather than educating young people to explore sex in a safe way. This subconsciously leads people to believe that sexual openness is bad and that premarital sex is not the norm. In combination with a religious culture that considers sexual pleasure to be shameful, the road to sexual liberation remains long and difficult under the double influence, and it is good to see that it has not stood still.
Conclusion
Although the socio-cultural environment is still not friendly enough for sex toys, this has not prevented the sexual healthcare industry from thriving. More and more people are choosing to look their desires in the eye and actively explore their bodies and pleasure.
