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 misconstruded. 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.
For those who don’t know, the adult industry standard for getting tested for STIs is every 2 weeks. 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.”
In the beginning of the pandemic, the industry shut down completely 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 performers that were affected – 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 isn’t just about knowing your status! It’s also about taking care of your body and that doesn’t just mean our genitals.
At some point in 2021, I hurt my hand so badly that I could barely grip things, apply pressure, or hold my hand in certain positions without feeling intense nerve pain. I was really embarrassed by it, because I don’t know how it happened and it rendered me pretty fucking useless in a lot of ways.
My hand is getting better, but it’s taken being kind to my hand for it to slowly heal itself. Which is why when Blush showed me their line of Wellness products, one really stuck out to me: the Palm Sense. The Palm Sense is a waterproof, rechargeable, silicone vibrator that is meant for people like me! Folks who have hand issues, folks with arthritis, folks with carpal tunnel.
What I enjoyed most about the Palm Sense is how comfortable it was to use both on myself and on 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 difficult 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 was still able to 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 great for both vagina having folks 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!
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 kegal muscles. Not only does it help with incontinence, but exercising kegal muscles also increases the ability to have orgasms and makes them more intense.
I’ve used various brands of kegal balls on and off for several years now, but one thing I really like about Blush’s Kegal Training Kit is that it is actually for training. It comes with 3 sets of balls and each set has a different weight to it, so you can actually build up strength. As a somewhat more advanced user, I started with the double strap, allowing me to use 2 kegal balls at once. Beginners who have never tried kegal exercises should start with the single ball strap and work their way up over the course of a few weeks. Even as someone 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 kegal balls several times per week.
Something that really stuck out to me about what sets Blush’s kegal kit apart from other luxury brands’ kegal balls is Blush’s are silicone. I have a set of kegal 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 up just right in that strap to make sure you don’t get scraped… which has happened to me and why I stopped using them. Blush’s kegal balls are made of silicone 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.
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 kegal balls again has made me feel even more sexually empowered, and my partner could tell that I felt tighter as a result of exercising those muscles!
No matter your age or your occupation, it’s important 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 isn’t just having more pleasure, it’s also about having the right tools to work for our bodies.
Thank you Blush for sponsoring this review. All thoughts & opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by my sponsors.