BDSM Toys and methods

All BDSM toys present some risk of transferring pathogens from one person to another if they are used on more than one person. Many people are aware that toys which come in contact with body fluids, such as plugs, gags, and cutting blades, should be carefully disinfected. However, lower-risk toys such as ropes, cuffs, floggers, and paddles are often overlooked. Ropes sometimes abrade skin and absorb minute amounts of blood without notice. Floggers can cause micro-breaks in the skin and become contaminated. Under some circumstances even perspiration can be a vector for disease. It is important to understand that "low risk" is not the same as "no risk." In order to minimize risk, all toys should be subject to an effective disinfecting procedure prior to use on a different person.

The robustness of microorganisms varies greatly. Some are easy to destroy, others are remarkably difficult to neutralize. Microorganisms also vary in regard to their resistance to specific methods of disinfection. For instance, some are very heat sensitive and some are heat resistant. Because the HIV virus is relatively easy to neutralize, sometimes the recommendation is made to simply "air out toys to disinfect" them. This practice is dangerous, because while it is true that HIV is not the most stable of pathogens, it may survive much longer then expected depending on the substrate (body fluids) within which it is carried.

Additionally, HIV is not the only pathogen of concern. Hepatitis is more common and more infectious then HIV, for example. At the time of this writing (2002), Hepatitis B (HBV) is the most common of the hepatitis viruses. There is no cure for the disease, but fortunately, there is a vaccine. Those involved with BDSM should talk to their doctors about the benefits of being vaccinated.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is another high-threat disease that can be transferred through BDSM-related contact. HCV is currently (2002) less common than HBV, but it is still more common than HIV. There is no cure for HCV and there is no vaccine. Think carefully before sharing toys.

Because there are so many undesirable microorganisms, it is not practical to test each disinfecting procedure against all pathogens. It is more reasonable to evaluate procedures by selecting a few difficult to kill organisms as benchmarks. Because HBV & HCV are relatively common and reasonably resilient, they are useful benchmark candidates. In general, procedures that will neutralize HBV & HCV will also neutralize HIV. Another good benchmark is the spore form of bacteria. Endospores have a protective protein coat and are more rugged than vegetative forms of bacteria.

Many of the commonly recommended procedures for sanitizing BDSM toys are marginally effective at best. It also must be remembered that no sanitizing procedure is 100% safe--even medical heat-based sterilizers can suffer unnoticed mechanical failure. If you want to be 100% sure that pathogens will not be transferred from one person to another, then limit each toy to contact with only one person. Cross contact always involves some level of risk. If however, toys are going to be shared, the risks may be reduced by the methods detailed below.

There are several types of heat-based sterilizers. The two most common are dry heat and steam based. Steam sterilizers (autoclaves) will sterilize a reasonably wide range of materials. Exact temperature, pressure, and cycle time vary by model of sterilizer. The higher the temperature, the greater the pressure and the shorter the sterilization cycle. Steam sterilizers generally operate at temperatures around 273f (133c). Dry heat sterilizers employ higher temperatures (320f+ (160c+)) than steam system to destroy microorganisms.

Heat based sterilizers are quite effective and will destroy all types microorganisms; however, heat methods can only be used on toys that can withstand high temperatures. If you are interested in a heat-based sterilizer, a brief hunt around the web should provide the names of several manufactures. Keep in mind, however, that just because these devices are expensive does not mean they are a magic fix. They still rely on proper use to be effective.

Boiling in water is another common method used to disinfect items. Boiling for 20 to 30 minutes does a good job of neutralizing most common microorganisms. However, it does not render the item technically "sterile", as endospores may survive.

Liquid disinfectants are perhaps the most convenient way to disinfect toys. To be truly effective the toy being disinfected should be scrubbed, then soaked in the disinfectant for about 30 minutes. There are two reasons for the long contact time. First, many disinfectants require extended contact time to neutralize pathogens. Second, the liquid must also be in contact with the toy long enough to penetrate and break up any dried body fluids on the item.

Liquid disinfectants can also be hard on some toy materials. It is a good idea to test the toy's resistance by placing a drop of the disinfectant on an inconspicuous spot and allowing the drop to stand until dry. This isn't a perfect method of determining how well a toy will hold up to the liquid, but should bring to light obvious incompatibilities.

Leather is particularly difficult to disinfect without causing some wear and tear. Leather is a biological material and disinfectants function by disrupting biological structures. After leather is treated with disinfectant, it should be allowed to dry thoroughly before reconditioning with mineral oil or your favorite leather conditioner. With leather it becomes a choice of either accepting some reduction in the life of the toy or choosing to limit the toy to only one person.

One other concern with liquid disinfectants is that some are quite toxic. All toys that may come in contact with any body orifice (especially mouth) should be thoroughly and repeatedly rinsed to remove residual disinfectant.

Chlorine is perhaps the best commonly available disinfectant. A cheap but very effective disinfectant can me made from 1 cup of household chlorine bleach mixed with 10 cups of warm water. A fresh 1:10 dilution of domestic chlorine bleach contains about 5000ppm available chlorine. This level of chlorine has been shown to be effective against HCV (1) and endospores (4). However, chlorine is corrosive and is not recommended for leather, latex or non-stainless steels. However, it does work nicely on plastics and play area floors. The chlorine content of bleach solutions decreases over time, so a fresh solution should always be used.

Phenolic (Phenol) disinfectants are commonly found in mouth washes and surface disinfectants such as Lysol. Phenols are effective against most vegetative bacteria and enveloped viruses such as HBV (5). Phenols are not effective against naked viruses or endospores. Because phenolic disinfectants are commonly used for cleaning there are many brands available. A quick search of the web for "phenolic disinfectants" will produce a significant list of products. Ideally, the product used should be the type that produces a wash to soak toys in rather than a disinfectant spray. Sprays are considerably less effective. Phenolics are generally not too hard on toys.

Povidone-iodine solutions such as Betadine are broad-acting microbicides, which are accepted as effective against HCV and many other organisms (2). Such solutions are only partly effective against endospores and are more expensive then some other types of disinfectants. Also, some people have serious allergies to iodine. Always ask if the bottom has any allergies to iodine before using a toy disinfected with it. Povidone-iodine solutions are non-corrosive and are safe for a wide range of materials. The iodine may stain some materials, but simple warm water will wash it out of most items.

Ethanol (grain alcohol) and isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) in concentrations between 90% and 70% are classified as an intermediate level disinfectants. Higher concentrations are actually less effective. Alcohols have been shown effective against HBV and HIV and are presumed effective against HCV (3). Alcohols are effective against most vegetative forms of bacteria, but not against endospores or naked viruses. Most toy materials tolerate alcohol contact fairly well. One point of caution is that alcohol is very flammable.

There are many other chemicals that can be used for disinfection, the above discussion is only intended to give an overview of the more easily accessible materials. While it is true that there is no easy method to completely sterilize all toys, the risks can be significantly reduced with a bit of care.

However, there is one toy that should always be considered a single use item--needles. Needles create puncture wounds, which are ready-made pockets for infection. No attempt should be made to clean needles for reuse. The risk of carrying minute bits of foreign material into the puncture wound is too great to justify any attempt to reuse needles. New sterile needles can be obtained by prescription from a BDSM-friendly doctor. If you don't know one, do a search on the web for Kink Aware Professionals (link) or ask around the local scene.

Aside from the careful disinfecting of toys, there are a few other simple steps that can help reduce the risk of infectious disease. One of the simplest is covering any insertable toy with either a latex or PVC condom. Never use lambskin condoms for this purpose--they offer no protection against disease. This should not be a substitute for disinfecting shared toys, but it should be an additional precaution. Additionally, no object should ever be moved from the anus into the vagina without careful cleaning. Doing so carries a significant risk of infection. And finally, general cleanliness counts. If a submissive has dirt or feces on the surface of the skin and is then flogged, the chance of infection is much greater. The same is true if a flogger is wiped across a dirty floor during play.

BDSM can be a very safe activity if reasonable precautions are followed. Also, keep in mind that no procedure or precaution is a substitute for knowing your partner and their history. If you have any doubts the "one toy, one person" rule is always the safest bet.