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Electrically-powered vibrators
were invented in the 1880s by doctors, who had been ostensibly treating women for "hysteria" for centuries by performing what we would now
recognize as masturbating those women to orgasm. At the time, however, not only did doctors regard the
"uvular stimulation" required as having nothing to do with sex, they reportedly found it time-consuming and hard work.
Vibrators got the job done more quickly and without such efforts, and as such was extremely popular with doctors. Home versions began to appear soon after and became equally popular, with adverts in places like Needlecraft, Woman's Home Companion, Modern Priscilla and the
Sears-Roebuck catalog. These disappeared in the 1920s, apparently because their appearance in pornography made it no longer tenable for polite society to avoid the sexual connotations of the devices.
( Left - Vibrator advertisement, c.1910)
In their more common guise as "body massagers", millions of vibrators
have been sold to both men and women. Some of the purchasers never use their purchases for anything other than relief from muscular tension or aches and pains. However, many people who purchase
vibrators marketed as "body massagers" -- and, presumably, most people who purchase
vibrators marketed as adult toys -- use them to attain sexual release, primarily in masturbation, a form of autoeroticism.
Vibrators are also used by couples as an enhancement to the pleasure of one or both partners, and are often recommended by sex therapists to women who have difficulty reaching orgasm by other means.
Although many women who use vibrators express concern over "vibrator addiction", the inability to achieve orgasm without the use of a vibrator, it must be stressed that this effect is entirely psychological; even long term vibrator use does not lead to any decrease in sensitivity of the sexual nervous system
Today, an enormous range of vibrators
and adult sex toys exist, falling into several broad categories:
* Clitoral
- Primary function is to stimulate the clitoris.
* Dildo-shaped - Approximately penis shaped, can be made of plastic, silicone or latex.
* Waterproof - Can be used under water.
ie bath tub.
* Jackrabbit - Two pronged for stimulation of both the vagina and the clitoris.
* G-spot - Similar to
traditional vibrators but with a curve and often a soft jelly like coating. The curve makes it easier to use to stimulate the g-spot or
prostate.
* Egg - Egg shaped
vibrators which can be used for stimulation of the clitoris or insertion into the vagina or anus
* Pocket rocket
- Shaped like a cylinder, one of its ends has some vibrating bulges. It is meant to stimulate the clitoris or nipples, not for vaginal insertion.
* "Undercover" vibrators
- Vibrators discreetly shaped as every-day objects, such as lipstick tubes, cell phones, or art pieces.
* Remote control
- Battery powered vibrators of various types easily concealed under clothing and controlled by an RF remote such that they can be subtly activated in public by either the wearer or partner.
Most vibrators use internal batteries, but some of them have a power cord and must be plugged into a wall power socket to work.
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Source:
wikipedia.org
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