This Sex Toy Is Busting Myths About Straight Male Sexuality

Moms all over the world may have said that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." But there's another male organ that serves the same function.

Yes, we're talking about the prostate: the male organ some describe as the "male G-spot." When stimulated, it can give dudes some of the best orgasms of their lives.

And it can only be reached through the ass.

There's nothing like a good massage. Though conventional wisdom and pop culture may have us think that anal play is only a gay thing, the sex toy company Lelo is hoping to bring male G-spot stimulation to the mainstream. The company has just released a line of prostate massagers aimed at changing the conversation surrounding male sexual pleasure. 

Part butt plug and part vibrator, these sex toys are designed with anal entry and prostate stimulation expressly in mind — which the company believes has the power to transform sex lives.

"We want to shake of the stigma and myths around the prostate and give men the courage to embrace their curiosity," Steve Thomson, LELO's head of marketing, told Mic. "Not only is it good for your health but it feels pretty amazing too."

Butt play among straight couples appears to be on the rise: According to a 2010 study from the Journal of Sex Research, 51% of straight men and 43% of straight women who had anal sex also reported participating in "oral-anal sex, manual-anal sex, or anal sex toy use." 

And no wonder: Lelo's global sex survey cites a statistic describing prostate orgasms as anywhere from 3 to 10 times stronger than straight-up penile ones. Prostate stimulation has also been found to increase the strength of ejaculation and a 2004 study from the National Cancer Institute also determined that regular ejaculation is linked to decreased rates of prostate cancer.

All from just a little ass play!

So why isn't every dude begging to be anally pleasured? The answer has a lot to do with toxic masculinity and culturally ingrained homophobia. Because straight men typically associate gay men (what with their sodomizing ways) with all things anal, some straight men view anal stimulation as a purely "gay" thing. 

"I have a very strong desire for anal pleasure," wrote one 20-year-old student in Columbia University's sexual health advice site, Go Ask Alice, back in 2012. "I feel really bad about myself and worry that I am gay. It seems that there is a very strong association with any kind of anal pleasure and homosexuality."

But this young man can rest assured: A man's anal desires are totally independent of his sexual orientation. You can enjoy having a sex toy up your butt and still be straight. 

"Pleasure during anal or prostate stimulation has nothing to do with sexual orientation," Sofia Jawed-Wessel, a sex researcher and professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, previously told Mic. "If a man finds prostate stimulation pleasurable, then wonderful — he's discovered something new to add to his sexual repertoire."

Talk about a happy ending: The good news is that when it comes to prostate massage, there are signs indicating that some straight men out there are starting to come (pun intended) around. According to Lelo's survey data, 71% of straight men in a relationship reported being open to the idea of prostate massage, while 80% of women said they'd be happy to do the honor of administering one.

Mic spoke with a couple of these straight guys earlier this year. It seemed that for them, embracing anal play had only positive effects on their sex lives. "My wife enjoys the idea and has fun participating in the activity," one reported. "By sharing my enjoyment in stimulating my prostate, my partner was able to not only join in, she was also able to enjoy the experience with me."

So if it takes the purchase of a specially formulated prostate massaging vibrator marketed to straight people to allow more men to get over their hangups and reach the same epiphany, then we're all for it. Anything to free the mind. Anything to free the prostate.