How To Remove A Stuck Sex Toy?

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On April 3, 2026

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This is something that some of us have experienced and most of us have worried about. What do you do if you think that your sex toy is stuck inside you? Our experienced sex educator and product tester, Rachel Sommer, is here to explain what you can do at home and when you need to seek medical assistance.

Key Takeaways

When your sex toy seems to be stuck, try not to panic because tensing up will make it even harder to remedy the situation. Breathe deeply, relax your pelvic muscles, apply lube, and try to fish the toy out. Seek medical assistance if you cannot remove it.

How to Remove a Sex Toy Stuck in the Vagina

If you have lost control of your sex toy and you can’t get it out of your vagina, you’re probably more than a little bit concerned right now. It’s not going to be stuck there forever, and it’s not going to go any further: unless you are in active labor, the internal diameter of the os (the cervical opening) is approximately 3 mm to 5 mm. This is very small! By comparison, the slimmest bullet vibrators on the market are generally at least 12 mm in diameter, or more than twice the size of the os. Obviously, dildos and vibrators are significantly larger than that.

Hopefully, knowing this will help you relax at least a little, because that’s the next thing that you need to try to do. When you’re tense, your muscles are tense, and that will make this rescue mission more difficult. Try deep breathing exercise, progressive muscle relaxation, a warm bath, or an adult beverage (just one, though, because you will need to be relatively clear-headed and coordinated).

Next, let’s assess the situation. Can you see or feel the toy at all? If so, apply lube internally and try to pull it out using two fingers. If you have a partner, it’s likely that they can get a better view and a better angle.

And if this doesn’t work, try squatting and bearing down (kind of like you’re trying to poop). Use your fingers to hold your vaginal canal open as you bear down. It’s generally good advice to discontinue any sexual activity if you experience discomfort or pain; in this case, we do think that mild to moderate discomfort is to be expected, but pain is a signal to stop.

If neither of these moves proves successful, you are strongly advised to seek help from a medical professional. This is not as scary as it might seem, and we will write more about that in a bit.

How to Remove a Sex Toy Stuck in the Anus

As we explained above, try to relax (we understand that this is easier said than done in these circumstances!). You can try the retrieval methods that we laid out above: start with a two-finger exploration if you can see or feel the stuck toy, and then try bearing down as if you were trying to poop. We recommend sitting on or squatting over the toilet for this one. And there is no such thing as too much lube under these circumstances.

When to Seek Professional Help, and Why

If you can’t remove the sex toy on your own or with your partner’s help, you do need to enlist the help of medical professionals sooner rather than later. You can probably wait to see your regular doctor in the morning if the toy is not a vibrating one (or it’s a vibrator with a remote control and you are able to turn it off), if you are not experiencing pain, and it is not a high-risk situation:

Pre-existing medical conditions such as pregnancy, lowered immune system (prone to infections), endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or hemorrhoids.
Toy made of porous materials, such as soft jelly. These materials cannot be thoroughly cleaned/sterilized and they can harbor bacteria and other contaminants, which raises the risk of infection.

If you are in pain, at higher risk, or do not have a regular primary care provider or gynecologist, you will need to go to an urgent care center or emergency department. You may worry that this will be embarrassing and expensive. We can’t do much about the second, but we don’t want you to worry about the first. (And, whatever you’ll have to pay to have your sex toy extricated, the price will only go up if you have to have a sex toy extricated and an infection treated.)

This is not as rare as you might think it is, and emergency health care providers have seen it all. Also, keep in mind that these folks regularly deal with complicated, often devastating cases. It can be a very satisfying change of pace when the issue is clearly identifiable and completely resolvable.

Aftercare and Support

Now that you have successfully evicted your stuck toy, you may not be feeling great either physically or emotionally — this wasn’t what you had in mind when you settled in for an evening of sex toy self-care!

Physical Care: Check your body for abrasions, irritations, or pain/discomfort beyond mild soreness. Apply something soothing like coconut oil or aloe gel (make sure that it does not contain any alcohol) if needed. Take a warm bath with some Epsom salts to relieve muscle soreness and tension. Consider abstaining from penetrative sex until you feel healed.

Monitoring: Consult your health care provider if you run a fever or observe any other signs of infection, such as discharge or swelling. Any bleeding warrants a call as well.

Be Kind to Yourself: That wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t shameful. Most adults enjoy sex toys, and mishaps happen. Give yourself a little time to regroup, but then let it go.

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

You’re all better now, but you don’t want this to happen again. You don’t have to give up sex toys! We just have to follow some basic safety guidelines.

Make sure to use your adult toys as they were intended to be used. Bullet vibrators are great for clitoral stimulation, but they shouldn’t be inserted all the way into the vagina (or the anus). If you want a toy that penetrates, choose one that’s designed for that. G-spot vibrators usually have wide handles and they are long enough that they won’t disappear inside the vagina.

You might look at that same G-spot vibrator and think that the angle would be great for prostate massage — but that could be a dangerous thought. Toys for anal use MUST have a wide or flared base. Your sphincter is surprisingly strong and it contracts during orgasm, which can lead to a sex toy being “sucked in.” That flared base acts as an emergency brake.

Use plenty of lube. This ensures that the surface of the toy stays slippery enough that you’ll be able to remove and retrieve it easily. It also keeps your skin supple, which makes it easier to keep your toy from getting stuck.

Rachel reminds us that lastly, if something doesn’t feel right, stop. Immediately. Don’t keep going, don’t try to push through it. Remove your toy, relax, and reassess.

Happy vibing!

Rachel

Rachel is one of our most experienced product testers. Originally from Texas, she loves sushi, white wine, and spending time with her partner Jessica. She has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Yahoo.com, Women’s Health, Healthline, Glamour, and MindBodyGreen.