
An artificial vagina is a device designed to imitate the
female sex organ
A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, ...
. To achieve this, it will generally be made of a soft material, lubricated, and sometimes heated.
There are different types of artificial vaginas. They may be designed for
medical research
Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as experimental medicine, encompasses a wide array of research, extending from " basic research" (also called ''bench science'' or ''bench research''), – involving fundamental scienti ...
purposes,
animal breeding
Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation (using best linear unbiased prediction and other methods) of the genetic value (estimated breeding value, EBV) of livestock. Selecting for breeding animals with superior EB ...
, or as a
sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibrati ...
for
erotic stimulation
Sexual stimulation is any stimulus (including bodily contact) that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to orgasm. Although sexual arousal may arise without physical stimulation, achieving orgasm usually requires physical ...
. Strokers and sleeves are sex toys usually designed as a handheld way to simulate a sex act, while an artificial vagina installed in a
sex doll
A sex doll (also love doll, fuck doll or blowup doll) is a type of anthropomorphic sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner. The sex doll may consist of an entire body, or just a head, pelvis, or other body part (vagina, anus, mouth, pe ...
can be used hands-free.
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Veterinary use

Artificial vaginas are widely used by farms in
cattle artificial insemination programs and
semen collection
Semen collection refers to the process of obtaining semen from human males or other animals with the use of various methods, for the purposes of artificial insemination, or medical study (usually in fertility clinics). Semen can be collected via ...
centers for collecting animal sperm and its further application. An artificial vagina designed for collecting
semen
Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is an organic bodily fluid created to contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize the female ovum. Semen ...
will imitate some or all of the anatomical features and behaviors of an animal's vagina.
There are several types of collecting apparatus, but the general design uses a tube with a normally sterile inner liner and hard outer shell. The walls of the tube may be hollow and filled with warm water to mimic a natural body temperature for better results, and may contain a filter to separate the semen.
Human use

An artificial vagina, ''stroker'', ''masturbation aid'', ''masturbator'', or ''pocket pussy''
is designed to simulate the sensation of
sexual intercourse on the
erect penis
An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular, a ...
and to induce
orgasm
Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charact ...
and
ejaculation
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract as a result of an orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential compone ...
. It will often have moving parts such as
vibrators
Vibrator may refer to:
Technology
* Vibrator (sex toy), a device for massage or sexual pleasure used by both men and women
* Vibrator (mechanical), a class of devices which create mechanical vibrations for uses such as signaling annunciators, d ...
that increase stimulation rather than accurately simulate a woman's vagina.
Usually the artificial vagina has a realistic or close to realistic appearance with a sleeve, where the penis can be inserted. The sleeve, or as it is also called "vaginal tunnel", measures in average from 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) and can have an open end for inserting a vibrating bullet, if the user wishes.
Types
Realistic
This type of artificial vagina is modeled on female genitals. For marketing purposes, many manufacturers design the vagina like an exact
replica
A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...
of some famous pornographic actress'
vulva
The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external female sex organs. The vulva includes the mons pubis (or mons veneris), labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, vestibular bulbs, v ...
s. Realistic vaginas are made to simulate the natural physiology:
pubic bones
In vertebrates, the pubic region ( la, pubis) is the most forward-facing (ventral and anterior) of the three main regions making up the coxal bone. The left and right pubic regions are each made up of three sections, a superior ramus, inferior r ...
,
hair,
labia
The labia are part of the female genitalia; they are the major externally visible portions of the vulva. In humans, there are two pairs of labia: the '' labia majora'' (or the outer labia) are larger and thicker, while the '' labia minora'' are ...
, all natural creases and dimples, etc.
Artificial vagina is currently the most researched male sex toy type in the United States and Europe. The popularity of this sex toy has increased dramatically and is now competing with industry’s most popular sex toy types that include dildos and vibrators.
These masturbators also come in many shapes and styles for many purposes; such as mouths for
oral sex
Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex p ...
, as well as the several realistic vaginas that are manufactured with a narrower anal orifice (or anus) for those users who also like to simulate
anal sex
Anal sex or anal intercourse is generally the insertion and thrusting of the erect penis into a person's anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure.Sepages 270–271for anal sex information, anpage 118for information about the clitoris. O ...
.
The natural vagina has a series of ridges called
rugae
In anatomy, rugae are a series of ridges produced by folding of the wall of an organ. Most commonly rugae refers to the gastric rugae of the internal surface of the stomach.
Function
A purpose of the gastric rugae is to allow for expansion of ...
, and manufacturers often add nubs or ribs into artificial vaginas to simulate the rugae and enhance pleasure.
In Japan, artificial vaginas are known as ''onaholes''. They often feature more varied designs than their Western counterparts, come in various sizes, and often feature packaging with anime and
hentai-themed art.
Onacups are popular disposable artificial vaginas that simulate various sex acts and come with
lubricant
A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, t ...
already inside.
Vibrating
These artificial vaginas superficially resemble the previous one, but they have the added feature of a vibrating element — usually a removable vibrating bullet that can be easily inserted into a hole into the bottom or the end of the sleeve. For more intensive sensations there are a variety of functions: vibrating, pulsating, surging, rotating, multi-speed, etc.
Vibrating bullets are usually controlled by a panel connected by a wire. Some kinds of vibrating artificial vagina are designed effect, replicating the role of a penis pump—with a bulb squeezed by the user.
Strokers
Strokers are generally more discreet than other masturbators. The inside of a stroker features a textured canal that stimulates the penis while the outside is often ridged to ensure a good grip during use. Some automatic strokers are powered by electric motors to simulate the sensations of sexual movements.
Improvised
In
prison slang
Prison slang is an argot used primarily by criminals and detainees in correctional institutions. It is a form of anti-language.Mayr, A. 2012. Prison Language. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Many of the terms deal with criminal behavior ...
, a "fifi" refers to an artificial vagina usually made by rolling a trash bag or condom inside of a towel, and using some sort of lubricant such as hand lotion. These are also referred to as "fifi towels" or "fifi bags".
Transgender
In 2016,
Buck Angel
Buck Angel (born June 5, 1962) is an American pornographic film actor, producer and sex educator. He is the founder of the media production company Buck Angel Entertainment. A transsexual man, he received the 2007 AVN Award as Transsexual Perfo ...
partnered with a sex toy company to release the Buck-Off FTM Stroker. It's designed "for
het-cock/enlarged clitoris" of a
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
man on
hormone replacement therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. These symptoms can include hot flashes, vaginal ...
(HRT). It was the first such product, and won both an
XBIZ Award
XBIZ Awards are given annually to honour "individuals, companies, performers and products that play an essential part in the growth and success of adult films" and have been described by XBIZ publisher and founder Alec Helmy as being "born out o ...
and an
AVN Award
The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic f ...
. Later, a smaller variant for people not on HRT called the Kiss-X was released.
Materials
The artificial vagina as a
sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibrati ...
is designed from materials that imitate the feel of natural skin. The materials used in manufacturing artificial vaginas are stretchable and elastic to accommodate different penis sizes.
*
Cyberskin, Ultra realistic or Futurotic (mixture of PVC and silicone) and some other patented materials – natural-feeling materials that are quite porous, therefore requiring special care before and after use.
*
Plants
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...
(fruits and vegetables) – hollow cucumbers, banana skins, papayas and other produce are widely available, low cost, and have a flesh-like texture.
*
Rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, a ...
(elastic hydrocarbon polymer) – a flexible and resilient material with high durability. The porous rubber makes it difficult to clean.
*
Soft plastics (Poly vinyl chloride) – popular material for sex toys that has a jelly-like feel, though it has a
plasticizer
A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture.
Plasticiz ...
odor.
*
Latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosper ...
(natural rubber derived from plants) – flexible material that may cause allergic reactions in some individuals.
*
TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers) – Most common and can be used to make dolls more cheaply than silicone.
The above materials are all porous and therefore require special care and cleaning to avoid bacterial accumulation. Manufacturers recommend protecting them by applying a condom during use. This is less of a concern with artificial vaginas made from
silicone, which, while generally more expensive, is non-porous and can be disinfected after cleaning with a bleach solution or heat.
Medical usage
Masturbators are sometimes used for medical research. For example, Kobori ''et al.'' at
Dokkyo Medical University have applied a Japanese ''onacup'' for
ejaculatory dysfunction studies.
See also
*
Dildo
*
Fleshlight
*
Sex doll
A sex doll (also love doll, fuck doll or blowup doll) is a type of anthropomorphic sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner. The sex doll may consist of an entire body, or just a head, pelvis, or other body part (vagina, anus, mouth, pe ...
*
Tenga (masturbation toy)
*
Venus 2000
References
* "Collection methods" (27 November 2005). ''
New Straits Times
The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...
'', p. F2.
*
External links
Equine artificial vaginas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artificial Vagina
Male sex toys
Vagina
In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hy ...