“But don’t you agree that erectile dysfunction is medicine and vibrators are toys?”

I was sitting in a virtual deposition when a top-tier lawyer asked me that question, and I’d come a long way to get there. 

It was 2019 and Dame, the company I had started five years prior at age 26 to close the pleasure gap and educate the world on the therapeutic and medical benefits of vibrators (and other sexual wellness products), was suing the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority. 

The transit authority had rejected our advertisements based on our products – while allowing the advertisement of Hims’ erectile dysfunction medications that plastered suggestive cacti all over the subway. 

Vibrators help reduce pain during sex, and they also help women suffering from arousal dysfunction find their heat again.

The thing is, men don't need erections to live. They want them to feel alive. This entire exchange underscores what is wrong with today's society when it comes to sexual health: It makes women feel ashamed for their needs while encouraging men to do and feel as they want. 

This fight isn't radical or salacious. It's about parity.

At 26 years old, I knew that sexual connection was an important part of our relationships and mental health.

Eighty-five percent of men report that their partner had an orgasm at their most recent sexual encounter, but only 64% of women say they had one. About 75% of women will experience painful sex at some point in their lives. 

I wanted to do something about........

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