Featured image: Sexual health after menopause shouldn’t be ignored | Photo by YuriArcursPeopleimages on Envato

Improving your sexual and mental health on the road

by Kathy Buckworth

What you pack after the age of 50 might vary from the essentials you used to put in your suitcase.

Maybe you have an additional sweater, some medications, mobility assistance equipment, or, if you’re like me, a selection of eyewear. But there might be one thing you’re not fitting in that maybe you should be.

It’s something that can help tackle your challenges with incontinence (those adult diapers take up a lot of space) and improve your sexual and mental health, according to a recent study published by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

Improving sexual health after menopause

What is this magic item and why am I burying the lede? Well, because it’s something that sometimes women don’t always feel comfortable talking about in an open forum.

It’s a vibrator.

The study concludes that “Vibrator use was associated with improved sexual, genitourinary, and mental health”. It also suggests that menopausal women can find relief from some of the symptoms associated with menopause, which can provide for a better sexual experience, without having to undergo surgery.

How did they measure this? They recruited women between the ages of 18-80. The women were given a multi-speed bullet vibrator to use for 5–10 minutes at a time, two to three times per week for three months. And this qualifier is important: “Participants were encouraged to focus on adhering to the protocol rather than on reaching an orgasm.” No pressure.

Choosing a vibrator to travel with

So now that we have actual science to back up why a vibrator is good for us, why aren’t we taking one with us when we travel?

Is it the stress factor about having them exposed via x-ray in your carry-on, resulting in the ultimate mortification of your little friend being examined and called out by an inquisitive security screener?

We’ve all heard stories about vibrators turning themselves on in a customs or security line (“It’s my electric toothbrush I swear!”).

Ladies. We need to get over this, for scientifically proven health reasons, and the only way is to proceed with confidence…or to pack them in our checked bags.

If you decide to woman up and go the carry-on route, nosy security officers be damned, here are a few tips which might help you in travelling with your “personal massager”:

• No one believes that toothbrush story, so make sure the batteries are removed from the device, which itself should be the smallest one you can get by with. Not only does this save carry-on space, but it will be less visually identifiable by those nosy security officers.
• You might want to pack it in a plastic Ziplock, inside a cloth bag. The security guard can then easily see what it is without having to touch it with their hands, which probably neither of you want.
• If they do pull it out, you can simply shrug and let them figure it out, or tell them it is a medical device, which, according to this study, it now is.

What to pack

Here are my top suggestions for travel-sized personal massagers, based on Amazon reviews. (Have one to share? Please do so in the comments below.)

Abseis 2024 Upgraded Strong Quiet Massage Tool 10 modes, powerful mini stick for women’s relation and pleasure. Handheld, portable and cordless in silver or dark blue.

Weyun 10 Frequency Mode Portable Lipstick-sized, perfect for travel. USB-chargeable and waterproof.

Quiet Travel Tool Powerful Handheld Massagers Waterproof, nine modes, app-controlled.

Travel-sized lubricant Need some lube to go with that? Just remember it’s subject to liquid laws for air travel (no more than 100 ml).

Final thoughts 

One last real warning: Islamic law prohibits the use of sex toys, so if you are travelling to countries like Saudi Arabia or Dubai, you could risk arrest for traveling with a vibrator. Check before you decide to take along your travelling companion.

As for most other destinations (including of course and maybe specifically Dildo, Newfoundland), you are free to be the mistress of your own domain, even when that domain is another country.

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