From utmost contempt to admiration

Sauna, jacuzzi, massages, and self-indulgence. We imagine all those things when we hear the word 'wellness.' If that includes a bathrobe, a hotel room, and a healthy breakfast, all the better. Talking about wellness, I can't avoid the image of a woman's face, thickly covered with a mask and cucumbers in her eyes. Logically, wellness is the origin of the term sexual wellness, which is becoming increasingly popular today. But do you know what it is?

The phrase is pretty new, but the real promotion came from the one and only Gwyneth Paltrow when, in 2015, she started recommending vaginal or yoni steam baths to women, which are supposed to be good for boosting energy and have a positive effect on leveling the hormones. Later, she also promoted using yoni eggs and the already world-famous explosive and expensive candles on her website.

Če je to bolj spiritualna stran seksualnega wellnessa, je OMGYes raziskoval ženski užitek s pomočjo znanosti. Gre za eno prvih spletnih strani, rojeno prav tako leta 2015, ki raziskuje in promovira ženski užitek. 

In our teenage years, our generation could only dream of sexual wellness. Back then, sex was dirty, and masturbation was sinful. Evidence of this can be seen in the erotic shops located somewhere on the outskirts of town, in basements, and were mostly empty. Pornography, at least to me, seemed more complicated to get hold of, and you felt dirty watching it. At that time, in my mind, only the worst porn stars and I were jerking off. 

So I was surprised when it became so openly talked about women's pleasure. Suddenly, Instagram was full of advice about female solo play while watching a good series or enjoying a glass of wine in a company of a vibrating toy. The latter started to be advertised everywhere. They were no longer seen as a dirty things that replaced fingers and gathered dust on the shelf of a lonely erotic shop. In line with the new 'wellness' wave and the fresh and more attractive look of vibrators and dildos, the shops became brighter, and a space that used to be only fetishist-friendly started to attract people from everywhere again. Products were colorful and eye-catching; the yellow vibrator replaced the men's leather thong with a zipper in the front. Pornography also became more acceptable and accessible, including through apps. 

Sexual wellness has brought a revival of the view of female pleasure. But that is not the only benefit. Gynecologists have also begun to unashamedly recommend using vibrators and other erotic devices and have reported reduced vaginal dryness and atrophy cases. 

While it has many good qualities, the growth and popularity of sexual wellness have its pitfalls. In 2018, women won a lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow's website and its promotion of yoni eggs. Jade is a porous material that should not be used in the vagina. The rise of sexual wellness has also led to even greater resistance from some people. They do not want to use toys, see pornography, or be surrounded by images of good sex all over social media and television. All this increases the pressure on those who feel their sex life is terrible if they do not do what the media show them or do not experience orgasm, which has been elevated to a pedestal in recent years. 

I am a fan of sexual wellness because it has wiped off the dust of books on sex and brought them back to life. Unfortunately, in recent years, only women's pleasure has been put at the forefront, while men are supposed to be comforted by saunas and sports. Nevertheless, information about sex has become more accessible, and sex is no longer just a matter of horny couples.