Are sex toys purely tools of pleasure or also medical aids? In India, laws brand them obscene while doctors prescribe some of these for therapy. Patients are left trapped in this legal and cultural grey zone.
Published Sep 13, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 13, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Several "toys" are part of sexual health treatment.
Synopsis: India lacks adequate sexual health awareness. While “sex toys” could be used for fun, doctors said they are often needed for treatment. However, society frowns upon them as if they are meant to commit a major sin.
Doctors say a vibrator can close the orgasm gap, a traction device can straighten painful curvatures — and yes, these tools can also be used for fun.
In India, they are sold as “massagers” or “lipsticks.” Science calls them medical aids, law calls them obscene, and patients are left navigating the gap between pleasure and prescription.
A new Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia study highlighted this paradox. Surveying 2,071 Indian adults aged 18–44, it found that 98.5 percent knew about sex toys, but only 40.56 percent admitted using them.
While Maharashtra topped the usage chart at 35.7 percent, Telangana (4.4%), Tamil Nadu (3.2%), and Karnataka (2.9%) also showed significant numbers. The authors noted, “Currently, there is no explicit legal provision in India that bars the sale of sex toys. Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code has been frequently invoked to restrict the sale, exhibition, advertising, import, or export… on the grounds of obscenity.”
The absurdity of this legal grey zone becomes clear in the story shared by Dr Pramod Krishnappa, Urologist and Endologist, who co-authored a landmark BJUI paper on penile traction therapy for Peyronie’s disease.
“We had published about the Penimaster PRO penile traction therapy device in BJUI during my fellowship in Spain. Two patients in Bengaluru ordered this device online from an American website. But when it arrived at the airport, it was withheld — classified as a sex toy, even though it is a medical device,” Dr Krishnappa recalled.
The patients turned to him for help. “They asked me for a letter stating it was a medical device, since I was the second author of the study. I gave them that letter, but even then, the cargo authorities rejected it. In India, anything put on the penis is considered a sex toy because there is no proper regulation,” he said.
The BJUI study Dr Krishnappa co-authored showed that using the Penimaster PRO device for 12 weeks led to a 41.1 percent improvement in penile curvature in patients with Peyronie’s disease, along with increased length and improved sexual function.
The conclusion was clear: “The use of the Penimaster PRO… should be offered to patients with stable PD before any corrective surgery.”
“Being a urologist, I come across several instances where patients find it difficult to get appropriate devices for a few urological conditions like Peyronie’s disease and Anorgasmic anejaculation,” Dr Krishnappa said.
But penile traction devices are just one example. Globally, doctors and sex therapists recommend:
In short, many so-called “toys” are prescribed as tools for recovery, therapy, and intimacy.
“Some of them are for legitimate medical uses. For example, vaginal dilators for vaginismus, or vibrators for women with anorgasmia or arousal disorders. In such cases, sex toys can be medically advised. This is a very delicate area — where do we draw the line? For some, these devices are essential for treatment, while for others, it is a purely private matter. Many people are quietly buying them without disclosure,” Dr Padmini Prasad, sexual health counsellor and gynaecologist, told South First.
Yet in India, the legal vacuum forces patients and companies into absurd evasions. Vibrators are marketed as “body massagers”, and dildos as “novelty items.”
Even traction devices with published clinical evidence get confiscated.
Sexual wellness advocates felt it to be counterproductive. “By refusing to legitimise these products, we are not protecting society, we are only harming patients who could benefit medically,” Bengaluru-based psychologist Dr Mahesh G said.
The Lancet authors, too, called for reform: “These challenges highlight the urgent need for legislative reforms, including the creation of a separate category for sex toys within the Harmonized System of Nomenclature codes and the establishment of clear guidelines for their marketing and sale.”
For Dr Krishnappa, the takeaway is simple. “With increasing acceptance of sexual wellness, regulations can help eliminate stigma, promote safe usage, and support legitimate businesses. Clear guidelines would also prevent the sale of obscene or unsafe products and protect user privacy.”
He argued that standardised regulations encourage research, innovation, and responsible marketing in the sexual wellness industry. As India modernises, such measures are crucial for safeguarding public health, ensuring legal clarity, and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their sexual wellbeing, Dr Krishnappa said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
