However, a vibrator has come along that could change all that. It's called the Lioness, and boy does it sound like it lives up to the name. Not only is it a powerful vibrator, but it can teach you a great deal about your body's sexual response using five advanced sensors that reside inside.
More: The evolution of vibrators as a milestone of female empowerment
The Lioness is the brainchild of CEO and co-founder Liz Klinger. She and her team developed it at SkyDeck, UC Berkeley’s incubator for startups. Klinger told Berkeley she was inspired to create the vibrator because of her conservative upbringing. “I grew up in a more conservative family from the Midwest, and we never talked about sex,” says Klinger. “And because I wasn’t able to ask questions early on, it only made me more curious to learn more about what was out there.”
Klinger's story is unfortunately a common one. Most women learn about their sexual response through exploration with sexual partners — not on their own. In the throes of sexual activity with someone else, it's difficult to stop and take stock of how you're feeling and responding. And once you've had sex a few times, it's even harder to ask questions, because no one wants to come across as inexperienced. Thus Klinger thought it would be good for women to have a tool that would not only give them pleasure but that would teach them a lot that they probably didn't know about themselves.
More: I learned the art of awesome orgasms from a virtual vagina, and so can you
Klinger actually worked passion parties (those fun gatherings where you can find out about the newest sex toys on the market) to get a sense of how versed women were in their orgasms. She found that so many had questions they'd kept inside because they were embarrassed. “It affects their lives — their stress levels, their relationships — and that there wasn’t anything that was addressing that, I wanted to do something about that,” Klinger told Berkeley.
So how does it work, you ask? While in use, the five sensors record what's happening inside your vagina, from contractions to temperature to movement. That data is then uploaded to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, where you can access it. Over time, you should start to see patterns in how you react to sexual stimulation depending on your mood, time of the month or stress level. It really is like a fitness tracker for your vagina — you're learning your rhythms so you can improve your sexual health over time. Here's a helpful video on the design and functionality of the Lioness by the lovely CEO.
The Lioness
Pretty cool, right? Aside from teaching you how to pleasure yourself, it's also a great way to open up a dialogue between you and your partner if you've been having sex-related issues. It will help them understand what's actually going on inside you so they can figure out the most effective way to get you off.
More: Vibrating yoga pants aim to perfect your poses
If all this sounds rad, you can place your order at a discounted price ($189 — a Valentine's Day special) on their Indiegogo site.