Anna Lee
For many people electricity and genitalia don’t go hand in hand. It’s not something we often consider when we think of sex or masturbation. While nobody is advocating sticking your parts in a wall socket, it’s something that might be worth exploring in a safe and harmless, but thoroughly enjoyable, way.
What is Electro Sex?
If you’ve seen the movie Watchmen, you doubtlessly remember the “electric” love scene between Silk Spectre and Dr Manhattan. (Featured above.) What you might not know is that mixing electricity and sex isn’t just for superheroes.
Electro sex, as it’s known, is a safe and pleasureable way of stimulating the genitals and erogenous zones with a controlled amount of electrical energy. As the human body is made mostly of water, it’s an excellent conductor 
of electricity. Whether it’s a sex toy or a conductive pad, when you apply it to the body, electricity can pass through the nerve cells creating intense sensations akin to vibration.
There are lots of types of electro sex toys and they generally work in the same thrilling way. An Electro box will deliver waves of electricity that are safe enough for a human body through to simple pads that you place on your intimate areas, or through to a variety of toys and accessories.
You might be reading this and thinking, “Well, I’m not interested in pain with my pleasure,” but electro sex isn’t actually about inflicting or receiving pain. The lower settings of many electro sex toys deliver sensations so faint you barely feel a tingle.
Once you feel comfortable with the sensation, you can experiment and increase those tingles. It should start to feel like a high-powered vibrator and when you become more aroused, the stimulation will feel more intense and firmer. It will feel like it’s penetrating much deeper and can even cause muscle contraction in some cases.
Electro sex toys can be focused on both internal and external pleasure, and for internal it’s always best to start off on the lowest setting – even if you’re a pro.
When you’re ready, you can turn up the voltage. This is when the pleasure might start to feel like it’s bordering on light pain. For some, this intense sensation can sting a little but adds intense pleasure to your play. If you’re enjoying the feeling then crank it up a notch and see how it feels.
Precautions:
As with any kind of play, it’s important to put safety first. Electro sex is totally safe so long as you take the right precautions. Most devices have limits on the amount of electricity allowed to run through them, which is fairly minimal, but there are other factors that need to be considered. Below are a few things to bear in mind:
- Do not use an electrostimulation unit if you have heart problems or have a pacemaker fitted.
- Do not use electrostimulation devices while pregnant.
- Do not use electrostimulation devices above the waist – electricity should never pass your heart so DO NOT put devices anywhere near your nipples.
- Do not use electrosex kits when feeling fatigued, dehydrated, undernourished, unwell or not at your best.
- Do not use electro sex toys on broken or irritated skin.
- Use a water-based lubricant (with internal attachments) or electro-conductive gel (with external attachments) to increase sensitivity and avoid any skin tenderness.
- Always ensure that the power is off whilst you’re applying a device to your body (that includes while you’re inserting a dildo or butt plug).
- Remove all jewellery before you begin experimenting.
For a beginner, we recommend starting off small but there a few key elements to each kit. You’ll need a handful of things to get started. The most important is a main power source to conduct electricity to your attachments.
You’ll want an all-in-one kit like the ElectraStim EM60-M Flick Electro Sex Stimulator Multipack Set ($). This starter pack comes complete with power units and accessories to get you going.
Each unit can control a range of different toys and accessories, thus offering a different stimulating experience. Once you’ve gotten used to the stimulations and decided electroplay is for you you can start to look for compatible attachments to really get the spark flying, as it were.
Nowadays most types of sex toy have a version for use with electro sex kits. You can find everything from butt plugs and probes to cock rings and Wartenberg pinwheels. These adapted toys will normally be made from aluminum or another highly conductive metal to allow the electricity to pass through them easily.
Before you jump start your sex life with electro sex, remember that everyone is different and while some might enjoy the new sensations, others may find them too strong. Take your time and experiment at lower intensities. Before you know it you’ll be sliding that dial to max.
Anna Lee is a blogger and sex toy expert who writes for Lovehoney Australia. You can see a list of their best-selling products here.
