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What the science says about vibrators for men

Science library Health and safety

Last reviewed: Written and reviewed by the Loviux Team. 7 studies

We check every summary against the study's original abstract: the quotation is verbatim and the figures match. How we verify our information

This page reports on published research. It is not medical advice and does not replace a healthcare professional.

If you have pain or discomfort, speak to a healthcare professional.

On this page
  1. In 30 seconds
  2. What the studies say overall
  3. Where they disagree
  4. Limits of the evidence
  5. The studies, one by one
  6. What this means in practice
  7. Other topics in the library

In 30 seconds

What the studies say
There are few studies on the use of vibrators by men, and almost all come from large surveys in the United States (Reece et al., 2009; Reece et al., 2010; Reece et al., 2010).
The main limitation
These are surveys, a study of patients and a narrative review, not trials (Duthie et al., 2022; Miranda et al., 2019).
In practice
The data show that a sizeable share of men have used vibrators, but they do not say whether they help with any health problem (Reece et al., 2009; Reece et al., 2010; Miranda et al., 2019).

What kind of studies there are

  • Descriptive or expert opinion 7

We classify each study by its design. A synthesis of many studies or a randomised trial supports firmer conclusions than a survey or an expert opinion. The design does not tell you whether a result is good or bad.

What the studies say overall

There are few studies on the use of vibrators by men, and almost all come from large surveys in the United States (Reece et al., 2009; Reece et al., 2010; Reece et al., 2010).

In a representative sample, a little under half of men had used a vibrator at some point, alone or with a partner, and one in ten in the past month; among heterosexual men, use was almost always in sex with a female partner (Reece et al., 2009; Reece et al., 2010).

In an online survey of more than twenty-five thousand gay and bisexual men, nearly half had used vibrators, most during masturbation, and most had used at least one type of sex toy (Reece et al., 2010; Rosenberger et al., 2012).

A recent survey points to a possible brake: respondents judged the use of sexual technology with more disgust when a man used it than when a woman did (Williams et al., 2026).

On sexual health there are even fewer data.

In prostate cancer patients, greater distress about sexual function was associated with using vibrators, and a literature review notes that the scientific evidence on the use of sexual aids, such as vibrators or lubricants, in men with sexual dysfunction is limited (Duthie et al., 2022; Miranda et al., 2019).

Where they disagree

There are no disagreements between these studies, but there are not many of them either: the surveys on use describe the habits of different groups, another measures how that use is perceived and not how common it is, and the review says that evidence on its clinical usefulness is lacking (Williams et al., 2026; Miranda et al., 2019).

Limits of the evidence

These are surveys, a study of patients and a narrative review, not trials (Duthie et al., 2022; Miranda et al., 2019). The samples are from a single country, and two of the studies analyse the same survey of gay and bisexual men (Rosenberger et al., 2012; Reece et al., 2010).

They ask about lifetime use or use in the past month, without saying with what result (Reece et al., 2009).

The studies, one by one

We have gathered 7 verified studies. Each summary is our own; the quotation in inverted commas is taken word for word from the original abstract, in English.

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)2010

Vibrator use among heterosexual men varies by partnership status: results from a nationally representative study in the United States.

What they found: A nationally representative survey in the US found that 43.8% of heterosexual men had used a vibrator at some point, almost always in the context of sex with a female partner. (Reece et al., 2010)

Population Adult heterosexual men in the US (nationally representative sample) Journal J Sex Marital Ther

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“43.8% reporting use of a vibrator at some point in their lives” Reece et al., 2010

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)Sample n = 25,2942012

Sex toy use by gay and bisexual men in the United States.

What they found: 49.6% of the gay and bisexual men surveyed had used vibrators. (Rosenberger et al., 2012)

Population Gay and bisexual men in the United States Journal Arch Sex Behav

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“A majority (78.5%) of gay and bisexually identified men reported having used at least one type of sex toy, including dildos (62.1%), non-vibrating cock rings (51.9%), vibrators (49.6%), butt plugs (34.0%), masturbation sleeves (27.9%), and anal beads or balls (19.3%).” Rosenberger et al., 2012

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)Sample n = 3712026

Gross Double Standard! Men Using Sextech Elicit Stronger Disgust Ratings Than Do Women.

What they found: A survey of 371 people found that the use of sexual technology was judged with more disgust when a man used it than when a woman did, and that sex toys were the device that provoked the least disgust. (Williams et al., 2026)

Population Participants in a survey on perceptions of sextech use Journal J Sex Res

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“Results from a survey (n = 371) revealed that men were viewed as more disgusting than were women when depicted as using sextech.” Williams et al., 2026

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Narrative review2019

Application of Sex Aids in Men With Sexual Dysfunction: A Review.

What they found: A literature review notes that the scientific evidence on the use of sexual aids (such as vibrators or lubricants) in men with sexual dysfunction is limited. (Miranda et al., 2019)

Population Men with sexual dysfunction (narrative review) Journal J Sex Med

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“the scientific literature assessing their application in men with sexual dysfunction is limited” Miranda et al., 2019

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)Sample n = 1,0472009

Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by men in the United States.

What they found: In a representative survey of 1,047 US men aged 18 to 60, 44.8% had used a vibrator at some point, alone or with a partner, and 10.0% in the past month. (Reece et al., 2009)

Population US men aged 18 to 60 (population survey, April 2008) Journal J Sex Med

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“For both solo and partnered sexual activities, the prevalence of men who had incorporated a vibrator into sexual activities during their lives was 44.8%, with 10.0% having done so in the past month, 14.2% in the past year, and 20.5% over 1 year ago.” Reece et al., 2009

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)Sample n = 25,2942010

Characteristics of vibrator use by gay and bisexually identified men in the United States.

What they found: An online survey of 25294 gay and bisexual men in the US found that 49.8% had used vibrators and that 86.2% of those who had used them did so during masturbation. (Reece et al., 2010)

Population Gay and bisexual men in the US Journal J Sex Med

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“Approximately half (49.8%) of gay and bisexually identified men reported having used vibrators.” Reece et al., 2010

See the original: DOI · PubMed

Type of study: Survey (cross-sectional study)Sample n = 2102022

Factors associated with various strategies for maintaining sexual activity after prostate cancer treatment.

What they found: Greater distress about sexual function was associated with vibrator use among prostate cancer patients. (Duthie et al., 2022)

Population Men with prostate cancer, aged 66.7 ± 7.4 Journal Int J Impot Res

Verbatim quotation from the original abstract (in English)

“Higher sexual function distress was associated with the use of oral medication (Odds Ratio, OR = 0.98, p = 0.026), vacuum erection device (OR = 0.98, p = 0.005), and vibrators (OR = 0.97, p = 0.005).” Duthie et al., 2022

See the original: DOI · PubMed

What this means in practice

  • The data show that a sizeable share of men have used vibrators, but they do not say whether they help with any health problem (Reece et al., 2009; Reece et al., 2010; Miranda et al., 2019).
  • If you have difficulty with erections or any discomfort, speak to a healthcare professional rather than looking for a solution on your own.

If you have pain or discomfort, speak to a healthcare professional.

Other topics in the library

All topics in the science library