Sex Toy News Round Up May 2026

June is bustin’ out all over! The summer is officially upon us, and with it the days of bikini-clad beach-going, summer blockbusters, and my heartfelt sympathy to those who live in humid areas.

But while we can look forward to a glorious summer, let’s look back on the lusty month of May and some news you might have missed during the official Masturbation Month.

Masturbation Stats

In honor of May being masturbation month, Adam & Eve recently conducted a survey on whether the most intense orgasms come from sexual activity with a partner or from masturbation. The results were pretty interesting! Let’s break it down by gender (sorry I’m sticking with a gender binary, but that’s how the study was conducted).

For women, 25% said they got more intense orgasms from masturbation, while 27% got more intense orgasms from partnered sex (with 26% saying their satisfaction levels were the same regardless). Now, I only passed my Statistics class because it was graded on a heavy curve, but my takeaway is that women seem to be divided pretty equally in terms of how they get their most intense orgasms.

When it comes to men, the numbers are very different. Only 12% of men got more pleasure from masturbation, while 51% got the most pleasure from partnered sex (with 29% saying the two felt about equal).

So, what can we learn from this study? Well, it seems like men are definitely getting more enjoyment from partnered sex than women are, which makes sense, since there’s been so much discussion around the orgasm gap. It also seems like men aren’t getting as much pleasure from masturbation as women are.

There could certainly be a biological component to this statistic, or it could have something to do with the stigma around men’s sex toys, not to mention men’s self-care in general.

My main takeaway from this study is that while partnered sex (with someone who knows what they’re doing) is obviously great, it could just be that women need a little extra help beyond what the average human anatomy can do for them. That is why we have sex toys, after all! They’re not a substitute for a person, they’re an experience unto themselves (or a spicy addition to partner play).

I’d also be really fascinated to know how this breaks down when it comes to queer couples. Usually when there’s a discussion of the orgasm gap, it has to do with people in heterosexual partnerships, so it would be interesting to know how those numbers break down when it comes to people having partnered sex with someone of the same gender.

It is true that lesbians have more orgasms than their straight counterparts, though the reason why is somewhat unclear. I’m willing to bet it’s because other women know what they’re doing a bit better than the average man, and that there’s less of a clear “goal” (penis ejaculates into vagina) involved. So, I’d be curious to know if women who are having partnered sex with other women are more likely to have better orgasms from partnered sex or from masturbation (or a mix of both).

Prostate Pleasure

Speaking of stigma surrounding men’s sexuality, let’s talk about prostate pleasure. Lovense did their own recent survey about how men are reluctant to explore their prostate pleasure. A large percentage of the men surveyed (18.3%) claimed that they simply didn’t know how to talk to their partner about prostate pleasure. In a three-to-one ratio, the biggest barrier to experimenting with prostate pleasure was fear that their sexuality would be perceived differently, as opposed to a fear of physical pain.

I find this study fascinating because for women, there are certainly stigmas around our sexuality, but I can’t imagine anyone thinking that enjoying a particular type of pleasure made someone less of a woman, whatever that even means.

Sure, in the Victorian era, clitoral orgasms were seen as being somehow masculine and immature (source: the paper I wrote about Freud in 10^th grade that was really just an excuse to use the word clitoris in a school paper. Apologies to Mrs. R for being the most immature student in your class that year), but nowadays that attitude would be seen as, well, hopelessly Victorian.

But for men, there are still stigmas around what types of pleasure are and aren’t masculine. In my earlier article, I talked about how it might be considered unusual for men to want, let alone, require, toys that feel good in order to achieve climax, whereas for women, it’s expected that our biology is somehow finicky and delicate.

There are certainly companies out there like Cute Little Fuckers that design toys to be used by anyone of any gender expression, but part of their selling point is how queer-friendly their toys are. That’s really great, and I love their inclusive marketing but a straight man might find that mission statement a little off-putting.

Kink Kicked off of Kickstarter?

…Well, no, but I love a hyperbolic heading. It was recently announced that Kickstarter would no longer allow for adult products to be crowdfunded on their main platform.

Main platform being the operative word. Because if you’ve got a brilliant idea, or some extra cash to fund someone else’s brilliant idea, Kickstarter After Dark is the place to fund new and exciting NSFW projects. Simply sign up for their newsletter to be kept abreast (heh heh heh) of new projects.

They have everything from graphic (and they do mean graphic) novels to games, so rest assured that there’s still a way to fund spicy products.

Update: They have since reversed the decision and are now allowing adult content.

Coolest Spring Break Ever

May was also the month of the XBIZ Miami event. Sponsored by Chaturbate and taking place at the Goodtime Hotel, this event was full of seminars and classes. From a perfume blending class to a morning run, from a workshop on creating the perfect camming stream deck to a chat on how to manage chronic illness as an industry professional, this event had something for everyone.

Plus, a session on taxes. Don’t know how many people showed up to that one, but I’m sure it was highly informative. No one on our team attended this year, but maybe we could start a Kickstarter After Dark for tickets to go next year… Count me out of the morning run, though.

Happy vibing!

Becky

Becky V is a Los Angeles native who loves indie bookstores, Broadway musicals, and a good cup of tea. She is passionate about sexual wellness and wants to make the world a better place one orgasm at a time!