Product Review: The Rock Chick

I can’t remember exactly how I found out about this toy, but the idea that you could have hands-free sex just blew me away. It works by first inserting one end into the vagina, and then rocking back and forth on a chair, bed, the floor, or any other surface. In addition to the hands-free feature, it also has a vibrating cordless bullet to stimulate the clitoris simultaneously. It can also be used in the shower as long as the bullet is inserted past the cap.

My experience: it was my first vaginal penetrating toy so I was pretty nervous, even though I’ve had tampons, menstrual cups, penises, fingers, speculums in there before. I have a sensitivity to water-based lube and so I use silicone lubricants for sex. This is a problem because the rock chick is made out of silicone. Although that makes it really easy to clean (you can boil it or even put it in the dishwasher though I haven’t tried it) and to keep clean (lint/hairs etc. don’t stick to it like pvc toys), you can’t use silicone lube on silicone toys. It may melt or damage the toy.

Some other drawbacks:
- you can’t use it lying down because it starts to come out. You must rock.
- It takes a bit of practise to get it in properly. It’s very flexible so you can bend the v-shape backwards to get it in. It didn’t come with instructions so my first attempt was kind of a battle.
- I read one online review stating that the outer part did not reach the clitoris, but this person said that they were pretty tall and that the rock chick was just too small for them.
- The bullet is a little noisy, and I needed to rock ontop of a pillow because the noise was magnified by my mattress.
- The battery that powers the bullet costs $5 to replace (but you can always rock without the bullet)

Some pros:
- Because it’s hands-free it’s great to use on yourself while stimulating another person at the same time
- the shape of the penetrating part curves up for g-spot stimulation
- made of silicone (which can be good!)
- it’s quite small so it’s a good choice for a first time penetrating toy

- Alice

Female Sexual Anatomy

Putting together an informational pamphlet I found this link. If anybody is interested in briefly learning the W5H of female sexual anatomy, this page is really comprehensive!

- Vivian

Toronto Public Health - Sexual Health

The Sexual Health division of Toronto Public Health has a considerable amount of interesting resources. Here is their website where you can find everything from general information about sexual health, to clinical services, to upcoming workshops. Check it out!

- Vivian

A Diagram of the Vagina

It may be shocking to have a vagina thrown in your face without warning, although you may be pleasantly surprised. Here's a link to The Big Vagina. You'll find several diagrams on this page, including a real live picture. Here's an opportunity to learn about parts of your body that are often ignored. Have fun and enjoy getting to know yourself!

- Alice

Sex, Bladder Infections & Vaginal Health

I've been reading "Vagina's an owner's manual" for the past few days, hence the little bits of info that have been posted. I'll write a book review soon. For now, here's some info about sex & infections that I found interesting:

1) thrusting of a penis or toy into the vagina pushes normal healthy bacteria from inside the vagina into the urethra, which can cause a burning sensation urinating the next day, and/or a bladder infection.

2) Having vaginal penetration many times in one day after a long period of no penetration may irritate the vaginal walls. Having a whole lot of sex suddenly also heats up the vaginal walls, which may cause normal vaginal fungus to multiply and turn into a yeast infection. This sudden increase in penetration will also shove lots of bacteria into the urethra, increasing chances of bladder infection.

So it's better to have sex everyday vs. 3 times in one day, but here's some advice for having lots of sex all of a sudden:
1) use lots of lube to make sure vaginal walls don't get irritated.
2) pee after sex to flush out bacteria from the urethra.
3) drink lots of water so that you can pee/flush bacteria out more often.

"Vaginas: An Owner's Manual" by Dr. Carol Livoti & Elizabeth Topp

- Alice

Fun Facts: Periods

According to Dr. Bruce R. Carr, MD, the average woman in today's industrialized society menstruates 450 times in her life compared to about 50 periods for the prehistoric woman. Today, in agrarian societies around the world, a woman only menstruates about 150 times in her lifetime.

Periods can last from 2 - 8 days and a cycle (from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period) can be from 21 - 45 days.

Taken from "Vaginas: An Owner's Manual" by Dr. Carol Livoti & Elizabeth Topp.

- Alice

Product Review: Durex Play Ring

This is by far my favourite addition to the bedroom. If you like vibrators and you like sex, this is the thing for you! Small but just strong enough, the ring definitely adds a little something to your sex life. Basically, it turns the strap-on/penis it is wrapped around into a vibrator of sorts. My partner really enjoyed how it felt on him too. You can get it at your friendly neighborhood pharmacy's condom aisle (or anywhere that specializes in sex toys).

Downsides to this great toy:
a) it's expensive (about $10 each)
b) it's disposable (which, on the other hand, is good for sanitary reasons)
c) the battery only lasts about 20 minutes.

I'm planning to purchase a latex ring that will last more than one use for about $30 from Good For Her. I'll review that once i get it, until then, happy vibrating!

- Anonymous

Product Review: Velvet Dream

So far this has been my favourite toy purchase in terms of how the texture of the plastic feels. Like its name. It has a velvety texture. This one is shorter and thicker than my previous vibes, which made it slightly harder to accomodate, but its curved tip and significantly better vibrations have made it a great buy. This was also under $30.

- Anonymous

Product Review: Splash

For me, Splash was an upgrade for the Red Rocket. It had a few more curves intended to help reach g-spot orgasm...which it did. This was also a hard plastic vibrator and waterproof (it would be a crime if it wasn't with a name like Splash). It was under $30, used 2 aa batteries (Ikea ones are great value and last a while). It also had variable speed and it lasted about a year before its motor gave out.

- Anonymous

Product Review: Red Rocket

So this was my first vibrator. It was a cheap (under $20) and lasted pretty long (about a year?). The red rocket is hard plastic, which is my preference as you can better feel the vibrations and it doesn't hurt. This was a great "starting out" vibrator, but once you get over the thrill of your first vibe, you're likely going to want more....

- Anonymous

Uncaria tomentosa

I recently quit my job at a homeopathic clinic and wellness center. One of their most popular prescribed remedies is called cat's claw (or uncaria tormentosa). It is a remedy derived from a vine that grows in South America and it is believed to have really useful properties. I read up a bit about it is most commonly used in homeopathy to treat cancer, AIDS, viral infections, colitis, etc. as well as to boost the immune system. Apparently, though, the only condition it has actually (scientifically) proven to alleviate is arthritis.

Anyway, apparently cat's claw has traditionally been used as a contraceptive in South America, and if taken in relatively large doses, may induce miscarriage. I have a bottle of the stuff and I am a bit skeptical about trying it (as a contraceptive and otherwise) because of the lack of concrete information, studies and research about it that I have been able to find (mind you, I haven't done extensive research on it) but I thought it'd be interesting to mention anyway! I will update if I find new information about this.

- Vivian

In Need Of Members

As it turns out, WASH cannot be renewed as a York student club because our membership numbers are low. So if anyone's interested in becoming an official member, please email your full name and student number to w_a_s_h_@hotmail.com.

(We will keep your student info. completely confidential. It will only be used on our application form, and only York University will have access to this form).

Thanks to everyone who has supported us this far!

- Alice & Vivian