1. In 1883 Joseph Mortimer Granville, a British doctor, patented the first electromechanical vibrator. It was sold as a cure for “hysteria”, a condition with familiar symptoms, such as rapid heart rate, sexual fantasies, pelvic heaviness, vaginal lubrication, impulse purchasing, etc.

2. When portable “massagers” began starring in Thirties porn films, vibrators were branded immoral. They didn't reappear until the Sixties, long after the announcement by the American Medical Association in 1952 that “hysteria” was not a clinical diagnosis but a female orgasm.

3. In 1998 the Rabbit vibrator made an appearance on Sex and The City and subsequently became, and still is, the world's bestselling sex toy.

4. In 1999 the sex shop chain Ann Summers launched online and sold one million vibrators in the UK in the first year.

10 things to know before buying a vibrator

You probably didn't know that women over 40 need stronger ones, or that some contain dangerous chemicals

BACKGROUND

• Sex advice: high-tech fun with the Philips Intimate Massager

• Men act over women-only sex toys

• Sex advice: is my husband's sex toy bad?

5. For obvious reasons you can't try “before you buy”, but you can watch product demos on www.lovehoney.co.uk/sex-toys-tv , and read user reviews at www.lovehoney.co.uk/ orgasmarmy .

6. Because they are classed as “novelty” items, the plastics used in sex toys are largely unregulated. A study in 2000 by Hans Ulrich Krieg, a German chemist, identified ten dangerous chemicals leaching out of European sex toys made of jelly and rubber. Phthalates that are used to soften plastic in vibrators may be linked to cancer and infertility, but reputable retailers and manufacturers voluntarily inform customers about phthalate-free sex toys.

7. If you are concerned about phthalates, have sensitive skin, or are prone to yeast infections, choose elastomer, silicone, or glass toys, or use polyurethane condoms over jelly/rubber sex toys.

8. Women over 40 need more powerful vibrators, according to the psychotherapist Julia Cole, who designed the Emotional Bliss (www.emotionalbliss.co.uk) range. With 6,000 vibrations a minute, the Hitachi Magic Wand (www.loveshackuk.com, £44.95) won't disappoint. Check the intensity of the leading brand vibrators at www.mybodyvibes.com/ guidance/vibrator_intensity.html.

9. Buy the lockable Adult Toybox Sex Toy Case, £24.99, from www.lovehoney.co.uk to keep your vibrator away from prying eyes.

10. Two million sex toys are sold in the UK every year. That's a lot of landfill, so join the Rabbit Amnesty at www.lovehoney.co.uk/rabbit- amnesty. Send them your old Rabbit and they will recycle it, give you a new one half price, and donate £1 to The World Land Trust. Yes!

SUZI GODSON

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