Can Male Sex Toys Help Erectile Dysfunction: What The Research Says

Erectile dysfunction is normal. It’s even more normal than you think, and most men will experience it in one form or another at some point in their lives, especially as they age.

For the sake of this article, we’re going to focus very narrowly on the following question, can sex toys can help erectile dysfunction? We’ll be upfront about it: the short answer is yes. Actually, the long answer is also yes, but with a few caveats.

Let’s get started.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

Before we look at potential solutions, it’s a good idea to take a shallow dive into some of the common causes of erectile dysfunction. There are 322 million people with some form of erectile dysfunction right now, according to the World Health Organization.

There are a number of underlying or comorbid medical conditions that correlate highly with erectile dysfunction. For example, somewhere between 50% and 75% of men with diabetes also have erectile dysfunction, and it doesn’t help that less than 25% of men actively seek treatment, and of those who do, they’ve generally waited one or two years before they sought help with it.

• There are a number of physical factors, like the diabetes we just mentioned, but it’s not limited there: heart disease, low testosterone, neurological disorders, obesity, and even medications for unrelated conditions can all contribute.
  
  
• Psychological factors, like stress, anxiety, and trauma can be causes – in fact depression can be a cause AND a symptom.
  
  
• Lifestyle and behavior can also contribute. Erectile dysfunction is much higher among men who smoke, and excessive alcohol and drug consumption are also ED markers.
  
  

So, before looking for quick fixes and easy solutions, like sex toys and Viagra, make sure you’re taking care of yourself, mentally and physically, and speak to a healthcare professional sooner rather than later.

Does Masturbation Help Erectile Dysfunction?

We tend to think of erectile dysfunction being a barrier to sex, as though penetrative, partnered sex is the only thing that matters. It isn’t. The social pressure under which we put ourselves when it comes to sex is absolutely baffling, and for anyone experiencing erectile dysfunction, that pressure only compounds that pressure, and makes it more difficult to overcome.

Masturbation can help you untangle all those pressures, and ease you away from any negative associations around sex and sexual arousal. And this is where sex toys begin to enter the picture.

Masturbation alone, and without sex toys, is a quick and convenient way to relearn your body. But to help you break through any psychological barriers you might be experiencing alongside the physical ones, introducing sex toys into masturbation can create entirely new sensations that go a long way to rekindling your interest in sex, and your arousal.

The truth is, a lot of men keep their erectile dysfunction secret for so long that they deemphasize sexual pleasure entirely over time. Instead of addressing it, it just stops being a concern. But by kind of kickstarting yourself with masturbation, you can begin to rediscover and remember what feels good, and you can do it without the pressure of a partner’s expectations. There’s a kind of vaguely scientific name for this, it’s called retraining the ‘brain-genital connection’.

Types Of Sex Toys for Erectile Dysfunction

Penis Pumps

Penis pumps are not the most glamorous sex toys in the world, but they work. Well, kind of. They work temporarily.

They work by creating a vacuum around the penis, and the negative pressure draws blood into the vessels. And that’s all an erection is: a penis engorged with blood. The problem is, as soon as the vacuum is removed and the negative pressure dissipates, so does the erection.

Unless…

You wrap a reasonably tight cock ring around the base of your penis while it’s “pumped”. This causes the blood to recede more slowly, and you can sustain the effects of the pump for longer.

It’s true that penis pumps have a bad reputation for making false claims about penis enlargement and that kind of thing, but they are in fact often prescribed by doctors and therapists as part of erectile dysfunction treatment. Also, they feel really good. Just sayin’.

We don’t make a penis pump, but we do make an excellent cock ring to pair with one.

Cock Rings

Since we mentioned cock rings, let’s look at them in more detail.

Since controlling blood flow is key for an erection, a cock ring has a lot of positive utility for ED. Cock rings constrict the blood flow out of the penis, making erections firmer for longer even when ED is not a concern, and they contribute to enhanced sexual pleasure for a simple scientific reason: since the constriction they offer causes a penis to ‘expand’, there’s more surface area available, and therefore more sensitive nerve endings to stimulate.

Feels weird to talk about penises in terms of ‘surface area’, but you get the point. And when you add a cock ring with vibrations, then you introduce entirely new vectors for novel sensations that can boost your esteem, your pleasure, and ultimately your sexual performance.

Again, we recommend Benedict for the job.

Masturbators

In essence, a male masturbator replicates the sensations of sex. But because it’s not bound by natural morphology and anatomy, they can do more than just replicate sex, they can enhance it.

We highly recommend a masturbator for men navigating erectile dysfunction because they promote sexual arousal without the pressure of a partner, and can be used to build stamina through the practice of edging.

For men with erectile dysfunction, it can help you learn what still feels good, and what kind of stimulation is pleasurable.

Sex and masturbation don’t have to be all about orgasm. We’re all so hung up on the idea of orgasm as the finish line that we forget that the process of getting there is just as good. A masturbator allows you take your time, and allow your arousal to ebb and flow.

We HIGHLY recommend Sam Neo 2 Pro for this particular job. It vibrates, it sucks, and it warms to body temperature.

Prostate Massagers

Naturally, we need to be careful about claims here, because although there is scientific and clinical interest in whether prostate massage is beneficial for erectile dysfunction and there is boat loads of anecdotal evidence, actual studies are pretty thin on the ground.

A 2009 study in The Journal Of Andrology mentioned that prostate massage can reduce ‘prostatic congestion’ which can lead to erectile dysfunction.

Urology Times published a paper in 2015 suggesting that prostate massage can improve pelvic circulation, which is crucial for sexual function. A 2020 paper in Translational Andrology And Urology followed up and found further evidence. Aside from that, there’s not much to go on.

Apart from those boat loads of anecdotal evidence, of course, most of which points to prostate massage as one of two things: first, beneficial for erectile function, and second, a way to experience ejaculation without an erection.

With regular use, we believe that prostate massagers can lead to enhanced orgasms – that is to say, more powerful orgasms, since a prostate massager has the added benefit of stimulating the muscles used in sexual function. And for men whose issue is that they struggle to become aroused via penile stimulation, a prostate massager’s a viable solution too.

There’s only one tool for that particular job, and it’s Iker Neo.

Things To Consider

Sex toys can be a viable route to restoring sexual function or combatting erectile dysfunction, especially as part of a holistic strategy. Retraining your pleasure processes while also working on your mental and physical health can quickly return dividends.

But you need to do a number of things on top of that. You need to be choosing the right toys, or at least experimenting until you find the ones that work, and that can include keeping an open mind. You also need just a wholmetric ton of lube. Lube everything, everywhere. Whatever you’re doing, add lube to it.

And then you need to be patient. Sometimes you have to throw a lot of stuff at the wall before anything sticks. If you’re in a relationship, it is absolutely crucial to communicate openly with a partner, and not just ask for help but be ready to accept it.

And Remember

Erectile dysfunction is not the end of your sexual identity, and definitely not the end of sexual pleasure. Our culture reduces male sexuality to performance and penetration, and if you view erectile dysfunction through that narrow lens, it will be more difficult to beat.

Instead, if you open yourself up to new sensations and new sex toys and new ways of exploring sexual stimulation, then erectile dysfunction won’t even hold you back.