Performer, Content Creator, and Blogger Sydney Screams on Sexual Wellness, STDs, and Sex Toys
When Blush asked me if I’d write a blog about wellness, my first thoughts were about how the public perception of sexual health in the adult industry is so misconstrued. The idea that porn stars are somehow “dirty” is something I’ve heard a lot from those who just simply are not aware of the rigorous testing protocols required by the adult industry.
Standard Testing
For those who don’t know, the adult industry standard for getting tested for STIs is every two weeks for those who don’t know. While some performers are comfortable shooting past the 2-week testing window, production companies and most indie performers in major porn production cities stick to that 2-week industry standard. When performers arrive on set, anyone who is performing has to check each others’ tests to ensure that we’re clear to shoot hardcore content. If someone’s test isn’t clear, they don’t get to work. Meanwhile, some of my civilian friends have never gotten tested for STIs. Yea. I said, “never.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, the industry shut down entirely until covid testing became more widely available. And even then, most production companies and even independent performers like myself were requiring a fresh covid test every 2-3 days. No covid test also meant no work, but it wasn’t just the affected performers – it was also the production crew and anyone who would be on set.
But please, go on and tell me about gross pornstars are.
I’ll stop being snarky now! …maybe.
Sexual Health and You
Highlighting Palm Sense
Sexual health isn’t just about knowing your status! It’s also about taking care of your body, mind, and overall well-being, not just your genitals.
At some point in 2021, I hurt my hand so severely that I could barely grip things, apply pressure, or hold my hand in certain positions without feeling intense nerve pain. My injured hand-rendered me pretty fucking useless in a lot of ways.
While my hand is getting better, I have been kind to it, allowing it to heal itself slowly. When I checked out the Wellness products, one stuck out to me: the Palm Sense. The Palm Sense is a waterproof, rechargeable, Ultrasilk ® Smooth and Puria™ Platinum-Cured Silicone vibrator that is meant for people with gripping issues, just like me! Perfect for folks with arthritis or with carpal tunnel.
What I enjoyed most about the Palm Sense is how comfortable it was to use both on myself and my partner without experiencing any pain or discomfort in my hand! The grip fits between my fingers naturally, and the curve of the vibrator is similar to a computer mouse, so it felt comfortable to hold. I will say that using it on myself was a tad bit more complex than using it on my partner, but that’s because I’ve got these tiny little t-rex arms that don’t have much reach to them! Even though my arms are short, I could still enjoy quite a bit of pleasure and comfort using it on myself.
The Palm Sense has 10 functions, though I found I got plenty from just the first 3 vibrator settings! The silicone is silky smooth, buttery soft, just like many of the other Blush products that I love so much. It’s excellent for both vagina-owners and anyone who enjoys external prostate play. The curve of the Palm Sense really made it so I could hit my girlfriend’s external prostate and drive her absolutely wild by stimulating that area in a way I’ve only done with my hands or a wand-style vibrator. And it was much more comfortable for me to use on her than one of those wands!
Kegel Training Kit
For me, sexual wellness is also taking care of my pelvic floor. That’s where Blush’s Kegal Training kit comes into play. According to the Mayo Clinic, pelvic floors can be weakened due to pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, and aging. Much like athletes have to train their muscles, vagina having folks need to train their kegel muscles. Not only does it help with incontinence, but exercising Kegel muscles also increases the ability to have orgasms and makes them more intense.
I’ve used various brands of kegel balls on and off for several years now, but one thing I really like about Blush’s Kegel Training Kit is that it is actually for training. It comes with 3 sets of balls, and each set has a different weight to build up strength. Beginners who have never tried kegel exercises should start with the single ball strap and work their way up over the course of a few weeks. As a somewhat more advanced user, I started with the double strap, allowing me to use 2 kegel balls at once. Even with more experience, I still started using the lightest weight balls.
Once you start to work your way up to higher weights, you can mix and match the weighted balls in the double strap to slowly work your way up to using the highest weight balls in the double strap. Much like other exercise routines, it’s recommended to use kegel balls several times per week.
What sets Blush’s kegel kit apart from other luxury brands’ kegel balls is that these are silicone. Blush’s kegel balls are made of platinum cured silicone (Puria™) that’s Ultrasilk® smooth, and the strap is silicone, which means you can properly wash and disinfect between uses and you won’t scratch yourself with edges or seams. I have a set of kegel balls from a well-known luxe company, and theirs aren’t silicone, so they’re more likely to harbor bacteria. The same brand also has seams on their balls, so you have to line them upright in that strap to ensure you don’t get scraped… which has happened to me and why I stopped using them.
Finding a toy that allows me to stimulate my partner’s external p-spot comfortably was huge for making me feel comfortable to provide her that specific type of stimulation. Feeling a noticeable increase in my own pleasure after training with kegel balls again has made me feel even more sexually empowered, and my partner could tell that I felt tighter due to exercising those muscles!
No matter your age or occupation, it’s essential to take care of yourself. You deserve to take care of your sexual wellness and feel empowered to do so! I love that brands like Blush recognize that sexual wellness is about overall wellness, the kind of relationships we have, how connected and confident we feel with our bodies, physically, emotionally, and mentally.