Life

This Inclusive Sex Toy Company Gives 100% To PP

by Kristine Fellizar

With House Speaker Paul Ryan’s recent statement that Planned Parenthood could lose its federal funding as soon as February, many women now more than ever are prepared to fight the war on women’s reproductive rights. There are many ways you can support Planned Parenthood — and buying a sex toy is one. Vibrant, a new social enterprise shopping and education site for adult pleasure products, launched in response to the GOP’s pledge to defund Planned Parenthood by offering body-safe, sex-positive, and inclusive products. As a bonus, 100 percent of the proceeds from all sales go to help fund Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. It’s definitely one way to show your support.

There are so many sex toy companies out there today and some may even donate a portion of their sales to Planned Parenthood. But Vibrant’s executive team is made up of former Planned Parenthood staff who came together with the intent of educating people on sexual health and raising money for a cause they were all deeply passionate about.

There are two major things that differentiate Vibrant from the competition, As Rebecca Engel, the founder of Vibrant, tells Bustle. One, of course being their connection and dedication to the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and two, they carefully handpick the products sold on the site to make sure each and every one meets two uncompromisable criteria: every product much be inclusive and 100 percent body-safe.

We want people to know how a toy is meant to work so that they can decide if it’s the right product for their body.

“We are the first site I know of to completely remove gender from the way toys are categorized,” Engel says. “We want people to know how a toy is meant to work so that they can decide if it’s the right product for their body. We also only sell body-safe toys and on this we won’t compromise. Part of valuing health and education, is making sure people are as conscious about what products they put in their body as they are about what they eat, clean with, and use in the shower.”

The sex toy industry is unregulated, meaning “some unscrupulous manufacturers sell their products as novelties, using material that have been banned because of links to cancer or other side effects.” That also means that some products can’t be cleaned thoroughly enough, and they could cause infections.

“It is incredibly important to us at Vibrant to have education around sexual health, sexuality, sex, and sex toys at the forefront of our brand and site,” Engel says. “We believe that the more information someone has about any and all of these topics, the healthier lives and relationships they are able to have. Being able to talk about toys with a partner helps with general communication and can enhance a relationship, among other health benefits of masturbation and orgasms. Educating people about sexuality outside of gender and reproductive terms, since we know most people are actually having sex for pleasure, is also more inclusive as sex doesn’t have to be (and is often not) just penis and vagina. This can make people who may feel different feel that there is someone, if not lots of someones, out there speaking to them.”

Right now, Vibrant is having an Inauguration sale. You can use the code BEVIBRANT in order to get 25 percent off your order. Again, 100 percent of all proceeds go to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. Because despite what the GOP might think, Planned Parenthood is super important and we shouldn’t take the threat of defunding lightly.

"The single most important thing for people to do at this time is to let their voices be heard. Whether that's by joining a Planned Parenthood event and becoming an activist or calling their representatives to let them know that access to reproductive care and reproductive care is important for their lives,” Whitney Phillips, Spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains tells Bustle. “It's critical that our political leaders know how dangerous this would be public health. And of course, continue to go to their local Planned Parenthood for care.”

If you want to learn more about what Planned Parenthood can offer you, be sure to check out their site at plannedparenthood.org. If buying sex toys isn’t your thing and you’re feeling inspired to get more involved you can visit ppaction.org to see what you can do to help out locally.