146. How Toys Benefit Common Bedroom Complaints with Dr. Soum

I’m super excited about this episode! I have a doctor on today, and he’s here to talk about the medical benefits of vibrators and targeted vibrations. And ways to treat various ailments such as pelvic floor discomfort, vulva pain, discomfort during sex, vaginal dryness, and erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Soum Rakshit is the Co-Founder & CEO of award-winning sexual health company, MysteryVibe. Their mission is to make sexual health accessible to all – across all ages, genders & orientations.
In his role as CEO of MysteryVibe, he focuses on pushing the boundaries on R&D, customer experience and supporting their long-term goal of making sexual health an integral part of our overall health. Soumyadip passionately believes that by empowering people with actionable knowledge & purposeful innovation is the way to make this happen.

Why does he think it is that it is still so taboo to talk about these things?
A big challenge is often people aren’t aware of what they might be struggling with, or they don’t know that there can be solutions. And when they do seek solutions, the specialists they go to, might not know about all the solutions out there. It really comes down to lack of education and awareness. 

Often people think that their problems or pain are normal things that everyone experiences. It may be common, but it isn’t normal. You shouldn’t be experiencing pain during penetrative sex or any stimulation really. Men with ED will often think that if they don’t do anything about it, the problem will go away, but what ends up happening is it just continues to get worse, especially with anxiety now attached to it.

How often does he suggest people work with sex therapist, coach, or counselor?
As often as he can. 
‘We are engineers, we can build a really good product.  We are not chemists, we can’t make lubes. We’re not therapists, we can’t do therapy. But, there are amazing companies that do make lube. There are great places to find therapists, for whatever is the right match for you.  It’s finding the right collection of solutions, and making those available to people so people can easily get those.’

Like lubricants for women with menopause, often a first step can just be Lubricant for dryness. lube is a $10 investment that can sometimes significantly change the quality of life. It’s normal, it’s healthy, it’s not something kinky and special for very niche audiences.  Things like lubes, vibrators, or gels are very common things that anyone can try to see if that’s the solution for them.

What makes MysteryVibe products different than what you'd find in a sex shop?
They build everything with doctors to medical standards. The products have specific purposes. One mimics what a pelvic floor therapist would do, or one mimics what a urologist would do to stimulate the prostate. Every device is designed by the doctors and clinicians in that field who have a standard of care that they then recreate using adaptable devices that bend and reach the points that need vibration for blood flow. 

Where does he see the world of sex toys heading?
He hopes there will be more compliance, safety, and regulation focus. Not necessarily the same regulations they have to follow as a medical device company, but that more brands will use safety and following ISO standards as part of their marketing. We need it to be safe as a standard and not as an exception.  Brands should be opting in and educating their customers. There can still be many features, but they should all be safe to use.

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