Goop, the wellness brand founded by Gwenyth Paltrow, has ventured into the sex toy business.
The brand, which has made headlines for promoting misleading health claims and “useless” products with high prices, sells a range of “sexual wellness” products – including vibrators, lubricants, supplements and other toys – priced at up to $250 -dollars cost.
And the site's blog, which often features no-holds-barred articles about sexual health and pleasure, now also offers advice on intimate toys.
The latest article focuses on a sex device that is primarily associated with men: butt plugs.
The article, which includes advice from “holistic sexuality teacher” Sheri Winston, claims that toys placed in the anus during sex stimulate three specific nerves that trigger a deeper orgasm.
Anal sex is becoming increasingly popular among both men and women. However, health experts warn that women are more susceptible to incontinence and infections than men due to anatomy, hormones and childbirth
However, a 2015 study of 1,700 men and women by researchers at Indiana University and the University of Texas found that two-thirds of women reported pain during anal sex, compared to a third during vaginal sex.
The study authors noted that pain during anal sex tended to be “moderate or severe pain (for the women) and varied in duration.”
Winston also claims that butt plugs are a useful way to introduce women to anal sex, an increasingly popular sex act among American and British women.
The Ditto+ (left) and the Neighbor (right) are two of the butt plugs Goop sells that are aimed at women
But experts warn that encouraging sexual intercourse and encouraging the use of toys like butt plugs could put women at risk of permanent health problems such as bleeding, tearing and incontinence.
Women's health specialists have highlighted the “less robust” nature of the female anal sphincter – making it particularly vulnerable to serious injury.
Dr. Michael Green, gynecologist and chief physician at the Winona Menopause Care Center, told : “Improper or excessive use, as well as using a plug that is too large, could potentially lead to problems such as damage to the anal sphincters, irritation of rectal tissue or incontinence.
Gwenyth Paltrow's Goop claims that butt plugs activate certain nerves that send pleasure signals to women's brains, although experts say there are serious risks to consider
The warnings from Dr. Green's comments follow a major British review published last year in the British Medical Journal that sparked concern about the increase in anal sex-related injuries among young women.
In the United States, the proportion of people who engage in anal sex has increased from 31 percent in 2001 to 40 percent in 2022, according to research firm Statista.
Colorectal surgeons from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust wrote that women's sphincters are shorter and their anal canals can withstand less pressure than a man's, making the damage “more severe”.
Female anatomy is more susceptible to damage to the pelvic nerve, which can result from congestion – making it harder for the nerve to detect when you need to go to the toilet. Without this urge, the likelihood of fecal incontinence is higher.
A 2016 study surveyed more than 4,000 adults ages 20 to 69 and found that 37 percent of women had anal sex, compared to 4.5 percent of men.
Additionally, a study of 6,150 adults published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that women who had anal sex were 50 percent more likely to experience a monthly bowel movement period than their peers who did not have anal sex.
Women who have given birth are also susceptible to incontinence, as childbirth stretches the pelvic floor and weakens the bladder muscles and anal sphincter. Anal sex can increase this risk even further.
For example, it is estimated that one in five women will develop fecal incontinence within the first five years after a vaginal birth.
Dr. Green said anal sex doesn't necessarily have to be taboo for women, as long as you start slowly. “It requires a slow introduction and a gradual training process to achieve the safest results and minimal side effects,” he said.