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Copyright of Kufa Journal of Engineering is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Individuals from all over the world are increasingly using the internet to purchase sex toys and gadgets to enhance their sexual experience and provide variety and excitement to their sexual encounters. Aim This study examined the trends about the most popular preferred sex toys by nation/region from 2009 using data from Google Trends (GT). Methods GT was used to generate a "line-graph" that displays how interest in a topic in certain places has risen or diminished over time. Search terms were generated for vibrator, dildo, anal plug, strap-on, and masturbator. The data were included "globally" from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2023. Outcomes The search values for certain terms were indexed using the relative search volume (RSV), which is shown on a scale of 0–100. Results In the linear regression analysis, the trends by strength were sorted as follows: dildo, vibrator, strap-on, anal plug, and masturbator. In 2018, vibrator surpassed strap-on and came in second, while the regression analysis showed a positive trend for dildo between 2009 and 2016 (P  = .014). It had a negative trend after 2016. Strap-on was the only one to have a downward trend (P  = .029). Regression analysis revealed positive trends for vibrator and masturbator (P  = .030, P  = .045). The upward trends have continued uninterruptedly since 2009. Clinical implications According to our research, interest in online trends relating to sex toys has increased along with advancements in technology and clinical applications. This rise is linked to the worldwide sex toy industry's development in response to consumer demand and ease of accessibility. Strengths and limitations This is the first research of this sort, looking into the interests of internet users about sex toys by country over time using GT. GT data is anonymous, and analysis of subpopulation groups is not possible. Conclusion Individual preferences for sex toys have different trends on different continents around the world. The compatibility of sex toys with technology over time, their clinical use, and sex toy-related injuries play an important role in the selection process. Web trends seem appropriate to reflect how the demand for sex toys has changed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive Facilitation Exercise (RFE) is known as an effective rehabilitation method that can elicit brain plasticity. In our previous study, we developed a hemiplegic upper limb rehabilitation system that can train the elbow and shoulder based on RFE theory. The system consists of a selective Arm-DoF constrainable mechanism and a multiple facilitative stimulus timing and duration control system. The selective Arm-DoF constrainable mechanism has three DoF, making it possible to selectively restrict a DoF of the shoulder or elbow. The multiple facilitative stimulation timing and duration control system only has an electrical stimulation source and a vibrator and no large actuators to perform the training exercise. In this study, we undertook an evaluation of the short-term clinical effects of a proposed elbow training program using the hemiplegic upper limb rehabilitation system. The training method consists of two sets, each involving 50 repetitions of the elbow extension exercise programmed in our system. We evaluated the short-term training effects through clinical trials for five stroke patients using the above method. In the evaluation, 10 repetitions of pre/post-tests without any facilitative stimulus were performed before and after the two sets of training. As a result, the maximum angular velocities or the average angular velocities of the elbow extensions improved significantly in most subjects. These results indicate that the quickness or the smoothness of elbow extension movements in the hemiplegic limb improved. Therefore, our clinical experiments support the short-term clinical benefits of the proposed method as well as the practicality of quantitative evaluation using our system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years of her life, the late feminist sex educator Betty Dodson may never have been closer to the zeitgeist. Dodson appeared on Gwyneth Paltrow's Netflix series The Goop Lab , was fictionalized on Broad City , and was the subject of a glowing New York Times profile. Dodson rose to prominence in the early 1970s as a sex educator who both repopularized the vibrator and facilitated group masturbation workshops. In spite of this pop-cultural embrace, there have been no sustained critical accounts of her work. In this article, I read Dodson's 1974 pamphlet Liberating Masturbation across the twin contexts of second-wave feminism and her contemporary renaissance. Her idiosyncratic, bawdy theory and practice complicates a history of second-wave feminist politics, and she remains a rich, productive figure to think with. Melding sexology, aesthetics, technology, and an unabashed libidinal energy, Dodson advocates for collective, erotic pedagogy as a source of knowledge production. In doing so, her work carves out a space for pleasure and joy in the messiness of lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a new materialist analysis of "vibrant matter" to understand the liveliness of sexual objects in toy-based sexual play, in this article I investigate the politics of thinking digital technologies as operating partly beyond human forms of agency and control. I use as my core examples privacy breaches and data leaks in the world of networked sex toys – such as a vibrator which allegedly audio recorded its clients' play sessions without express permission – to engage with questions of intimacy and privacy in digital networks of humans and nonhumans. In particular, the discussion focuses on the consequences of new forms of publicness for how we can understand sexual intimacy and sexual play. What does it mean to have an intimate moment when connected to a device, a medium and a network that is by definition public, corporate and leaky? And how could we imagine other ways of being sexually intimate and exposed – yet safe – in public digital networks? Drawing on discussions of queer intimacy, sexual consent and queer BDSM, I suggest that current understandings of privacy and sensitive data (as per GDPR) may need unconventional sources to further ways of knowing what consent might mean, and how it feels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To demonstrate the different techniques used to perform successful penile vibratory stimulation (PVS) to induce ejaculation in men with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). A video demonstration of the PVS procedure performed in men with SCIs using the FertiCare 2.0 medical vibrator. Major University Medical Center. Men with SCIs. Spinal cord injury is the leading cause of anejaculation in young men. After SCIs, most of these men will need a method of assisted ejaculation to achieve biological fatherhood. In this study, a newly designed and tested vibrator (FertiCare 2.0) was used to induce ejaculation. The initial assessment of each patient included a standard history, physical examination, level of injury determination using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury as well as assessment of the hip flexor reflex and the bulbocavernosus reflex. Patients with a level of injury at or rostral to T6 were pretreated with 10–40 mg of sublingual nifedipine to manage autonomic dysreflexia. A single vibrator was applied to the dorsum, or frenulum, of the glans penis. Stimulation is delivered in 2-minute increments to a maximum of 10 minutes per visit. Application of two vibrators or abdominal electrical stimulation concurrently with PVS was used in select patients. Ejaculated semen was collected in a sterile cup and examined after liquefaction. Bladder preparation using sperm wash medium was performed in patients suspected of experiencing retrograde ejaculation. Successful ejaculation after performing the PVS procedure in men with SCIs. Penile vibratory stimulation was successful in 86% of men whose level of injury was T10 or rostral. The total motile sperm count in antegrade ejaculates produced using PVS was >5 million (lower limit considered for intrauterine insemination) in 71% of ejaculates. No complications because of PVS were observed in 3,700 trials performed by our group and none in the patients presented in this video. Penile vibratory stimulation is a safe and effective method for the management of ejaculatory dysfunction in men with SCIs. Penile vibratory stimulation can be performed by the male partner after an initial evaluation by a specialized provider, and the ejaculate can be used to perform home insemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The letter to the editor discusses the role of vibrators in women's pelvic health, highlighting the benefits of regular vibrator use for physical, sexual, and mental health. The authors raise concerns about the lack of a control group design in the study, limited sampling range, and the need for age-stratified analysis to determine the effectiveness of vibrator use across different age groups. They also suggest incorporating objective evaluation tools to assess pelvic floor muscle functionality and its impact on quality of life. The study emphasizes the importance of further research to enhance the scientific rigor and universal applicability of the findings. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Mainstream society and health professionals typically do not regard genital vibrators as medical devices. Vibrators have been shown to improve sexual satisfaction (Alexander et al., 2017). There are currently no studies that compare participants' preference, satisfaction of orgasm, and frequency of orgasms with multiple different styles of devices. Objective: The primary outcome was to compare three different styles of genital vibrator devices via the level of satisfaction and reasons for satisfaction or dissatisfaction for the various devices. The secondary outcomes were to determine if there was a quantitative change in the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores or the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). Methods: The study was a prospective observational design with mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative outcomes. Participants with female reproductive anatomy aged ≥18 that were sexually active with a partner or through self-stimulation and have achieved orgasm in the past were eligible. Participants completed the FSFI prior to undergoing the intervention. They then had six weeks to use the three devices (wand, dual pronged or clitoral suction device) at their own discretion. At the conclusion of the six weeks, they completed the FSFI and PGI-I. Participants then underwent an open and semi-structured interview via telephone. The information from these interviews was transcribed and analyzed using Dedoose software by two independent reviewers. Results: Individuals with no self-reported sexual dysfunction aged 18-55 years old were recruited in January 2023. All completed both the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Nineteen participants completed the semi-structured interviews, one participant was lost to follow-up. Self-reported overall sexual satisfaction was improved in 90% of participants after introduction of the genital vibrators based on PGI-I (Figure 1). 55% of participants reported the suction clitoral stimulator device was their preferred vibrator, 35% preferred the wand device, and 10% preferred the dual pronged device. When comparing pre and post intervention FSFI there were no statistically significant differences in total FSFI scores nor any of the individual domains (27.15 vs. 28.25, p=0.104). Ease of use, enjoyment, comfort, intensity, partner use, change in orgasm, novelty, and battery/charge were commonly recurring themes during the interview. Table 1 demonstrates examples of quotes and frequency of mentions. There was no difference in number of times each vibrator was used based on self-report (p=0.875) (Figure 2). Conclusions: The introduction of genital vibrators may lead to improved sexual satisfaction in individuals with no baseline sexual dysfunction. The majority (90%) of participants reported improvement in overall sexual satisfaction with the use of genital vibrators, with the suction clitoral stimulator device being the preferred style. Novelty, comfort, size, and intensity of vibrators were frequently addressed as important factors in improving the likelihood and quality of orgasm. Additionally, positive comments surrounding partner use were frequently addressed by participants, suggesting the importance of exploring vibrator use outside of masturbation alone. Use with a partner can lead to improved communication with the partner and a more satisfying sexual experience overall. Disclosure: No. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on the findings of qualitative research on the ways in which the domestication of sexual objects, such as vibrators, is central to relationships amongst (non)household members and social interaction within the home. Interviews with a purposive sample of 32 female participants were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. In analyzing experiences and complex senses of belonging, the paper identified different circumstances and issues of public presentation and private realization that lie behind the meaning and use of vibrators. I suggest that objects, such as vibrators, come to be experienced as offering emotional, spatial, relational, and moral structures of both social integration and social distancing. All objects, even sex toys, contain culture, and by examining the domestication of such objects we can enrich knowledge of the affordances that constitute the materiality of sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the creation process and the subsequent meaning development of vibrators within a framework consisting of various theories of material culture. The conceptual scheme is based on the view that four underlying junctures of meaning creation and vibrator consumption, namely (1) vibrators as a medical implement, (2) vibrators as a household appliance, (3) vibrators as a liberating political object and (4) vibrators as a post-feminist 'toy', interact to (re)produce and change the meaning of this sexually imbued product. First, existing research is reviewed on the history and consumption of vibrators, and findings are synthesized concerning product functions. Theories of material culture and product meaning are then incorporated as a means to gain ontological and epistemological insights into the nature of this sexual product. Finally, a framework is presented that builds on these foundational theories, including a discussion of its benefits for the sociology of consumption. The article concludes that the meaning of vibrators can be seen as being intricately bound up with processes of social movements, individual interpretation and identity politics as well as with historical, economic and cultural phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine vibrator and dildo injuries in the US. During 2000-2019, a national estimate of 18,547 vibrator and 6,468 dildo injuries were treated at US emergency departments; 35.4% of the vibrator and 35.9% of the dildo injuries occurred during 2016-2019. Males accounted for 52.0% of the vibrator and 79.7% of the dido injuries. The device could not be removed from the rectum in 71.3% of the vibrator and 83.6% of the dildo injuries. The patient was treated or examined and released in 70.2% of the vibrator and 48.1% of the dildo injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Humanitas: International Journal of Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Humanitas: International Journal of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Certain types of masturbation have been shown to affect genital and genitourinary health. However, the full range of health benefits associated with masturbation and its various forms remains inadequately studied. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the literature addressing utilization of masturbation for various health conditions among females. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of PubMed, Embase, and Medline from January 1980 to November 2023, adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search incorporated keywords such as "masturbation," "sexual pleasure," "benefits of masturbation," "sexual self-stimulation," "solo sex," "onanism," and "self-pleasure." Inclusion criteria for the analysis were clinical trials, cohort studies, and reviews with cisgender women over 18 years old as participants, and masturbation utilized as an intervention. Exclusion criteria were case reports, surveys, studies involving men, or those with a history of gender dysphoria. Results: A total of 176 studies were initially identified. Only five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among these, four were clinical trials, and one was a systematic review. All but one study investigated the role of masturbation in the ability to orgasm with or without a partner. Orgasmic function was noted to be improved among participants in these four studies. One study investigated the endocrine changes associated with orgasm and found a significant elevation in post-orgasmic prolactin, similar to men. Participants in all the studies were cisgender women aged 18 to 55, predominantly heterosexual. The intervention duration ranged from 10 minutes per session to multiple sessions over the course of five weeks, with only one study specifying the mode of masturbation (vibrators). Four of the studies used erotica and pornography as augmentation to masturbation, and a partner was involved in the intervention in two of the studies. Only one study employed formal quantitative methods for outcome assessment. Conclusions: Masturbation has primarily been investigated as an intervention for orgasmic dysfunction. There is a significant need for studies examining different types of masturbation and their effects on general and genitourinary health. Disclosure: No. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an exploration into women's purchasing of vibrators and how they negotiate the meaning of these sex toys with their partners' preferences and attitudes. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with 32 female consumers, the study identifies ways in which emotional, transformative and contextual aspects of meaning revolve around choosing, buying and using vibrators in heterosexual relationships. In analysing such experiences, the article points to the potential of vibrators to become imbued with notions of desire, maintenance, privacy and preference. Overall, this research draws attention to salient and nonsalient meanings attached to vibrators that constitute the sex toys' significance beyond simply functional elements. The paper enriches research on consumer behaviour and vibrator use in sexual relationships and proposes an understanding of object relations grounded in the intimate spheres of consumer studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]