Phallic shaped products, black leather, pink vibrators, and red lace… these are some clichés long associated with the sexual wellness category. The problem is not the leather or lace, but the fact the offering gives a limited – and therefore quite scripted – vision of human sexuality.
Positively, in the last decade, boutique brands like Smile Makers, Elvie and Hanx, among others, have considered the topic of sex with fresh eyes, breaking away from traditional associations between sexual products and services, and the adult entertainment world. Their proposition has been to acknowledge the importance of sexual wellness, and that it's part of our overall physical and mental wellbeing, just like what we eat, how we sleep, or how we exercise.
This change in paradigm is fuelling fast growth. The sexual wellness industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2020 to 2025, reaching a value of £29bn ($40.4bn, €34bn) in 2025, with sex toys and lubricants anticipated to be the fastest growing segments (source: Market Data). Interestingly, female sexual wellness seems to be growing even faster at a 11% CAGR, according to Technavio. More importantly, this changing attitude to sexual wellness is helping to normalise the topic of human sexuality and discussions surrounding it.
If we look at the future of sexual wellness, exciting explorations in R&D are pointing towards technology for pleasure. We’re going to see very interesting developments for new sensorial experiences, whether new textures or interfaces. For example, self-learning toys that adjust stimulation to the user’s preferences, as well as more customisable experiences through connected devices. I also anticipate virtual reality (VR) or AI-enabled erotica that evolves the story to what the reader responds to, and new stimulation technologies allowing precision movement.
But in my opinion, the most interesting part of sexual wellness R&D is how it’s helping us to better understand human sexuality. The way it has been traditionally researched is very heteronormative, with a shocking gap even between knowledge of male and female sexuality. This results in a partial and very binary knowledge of sexual health – nothing close to the world’s diverse reality.
