05/20/2023
Love this article coming out of about China’s S*x Toy industry! They’re one of the biggest manufacturers if not the biggest, in the world. Here’s an excerpt of the article, which you can read in full on their website!
“With a wide smile on her face and bo***ge rope wrapped around her right arm, Zhiniao, 18, browsed around the array of vi*****rs and lubricants at the annual Adult Production Industry exhibition in Shanghai.
By her side was her mother, listening quietly, reading brochures introducing the newest s*x toys from around the world. Together, they were among 50,000 curious visitors who attended the exhibition at a convention center in Putuo District over three days in late April.
In China, conversations about s*x are often taboo. But Zhiniao, using a pseudonym for privacy reasons, told Sixth Tone that she began exploring her body in second grade and bought her first s*x toy in high school.
Zhiniao’s open exploration of her s*xuality was made possible in part by her mother's supportive attitude toward her choices. “As long as she’s healthy, I’m OK with all her s*x explorations,” her mother, in her 40s, told Sixth Tone, requesting anonymity for privacy reasons.
In stark contrast, her generation had little opportunity to talk about s*x in public, let alone embrace it as part of daily life as her daughter does now, she said.
China’s attitudes toward s*x and s*xuality have remained largely conservative, with s*x education often facing opposition from parents.
The lack of basic education even about periods and hygiene products further compounds this issue, making it challenging for young people to access necessary information. And simultaneously, feminist advocates who attempt to highlight these issues often encounter public backlash.
The challenges notwithstanding, some are carving out their own paths toward s*xual exploration and open communication. And the recently concluded exhibition in Shanghai, where hundreds of s*x toy producers flaunted their best products — with a significant number of products catering specifically to women — is a clear example of this shifting tide.”