Vibrators can be a nice addition to your self-love sessions, as well as to your partner sex. In my post earlier this month I promised that we would be giving away a Passion Flower Mini Vibrator as a contest prize.

Read on to find out how you can enter for a chance to win this delicate little sex toy, or link directly to the contest guidelines.

Background:
For over a century, it has been shown that vibrators enhance sexual pleasure. In the US, Betty Dodson (b. 1929) has been a masturbation advocate for decades. Recognizing early on the need for more attention to women's genitalia and masturbation, she hosted regular masturbation workshops for New York women in the seventies and eighties.

In her work, Dodson encourages women to firstly familiarize themselves with their genitals using a mirror; and then to explore various stimulation, including with a vibrator, in particular for clitoral stimulation, which, as research shows, most women need to orgasm.

The New York Times and Salon recently featured reports on the growing mainstreaming and popularity of vibrators among women and couples. "Once seen as a threat to masculinity, straight men are finding that sex toys give them some sexual swagger," reports Salon; even becoming "an accepted symbol of a man's sexual prowess." – "As more women have been speaking up about using vibrators, it has normalized it for their male partners," comments adult sex educator Dr. Charlie Glickman.

The condom company Trojan recently released its line of vibrators, after a study the company conducted in 2008 in partnership with the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University revealed that over half of American women had used vibrators–and of that group, nearly 80 percent had shared them with their partners. Speaking with The New York Times, Jeremy, 31, a content strategist in the entertainment business who lives in New York, said, “From my perspective, a woman who has thoroughly explored her own body, both alone and with or without whichever toys she finds interesting, makes for a significantly better lover.”

The Passion Flower Mini Vibrator is a discreet micro bullet vibrator that provides clitoral stimulation. You can even wear it in your panties, or use it during naked self-love sessions. I also recommend it as a supplement during partner sex. Regardless if you enjoy a vibrator on your own or with your partner, I advocate it first and foremost for your own pleasure.

Contest:
Celebrate "Masturbation May" with Love, Sex, and Family by entering our first ever product give-away! Follow the guidelines below to qualify for the contest.

• Please place your vote on our "Masturbation May" poll, selecting either "me and my toy" or "we and my toy" according to your personal preference. (Both women and men may vote and enter the contest.)
• Then send an email letting us know 1) which post has been your favorite, 2) which featured page you have found most informative or interesting, and/or 3) what you would like to see more of on our site. Feel free to leave any other comments. We value your feedback.
• Lastly, if you haven't already, consider giving us your support by sharing our updates online. Or simply "Recommend" our site to your friends on Facebook.

Check back later this month to see the Passion Flower Mini Vibrator featured in a short video produced by and starring the co-founders of Love, Sex, and Family!

Our give-away contest runs through the end of month, when we will select and contact the winner to coordinate shipment. The product will be shipped in a discreet package directly form Good Vibrations.

Resources:

• The History of Vibrators (study from The Times)
• Men Feel the Vibe (recent report from Salon)
• Vibrators Carry the Conversation (recent report from The New York Times)
• Masturbation is Healthy (by sexuality educator Kelly Connell)
• Real Life: A frank and funny guide to what's going on 'down there' (featuring Dr. Lissa Rankin's new book What's Up Down There?: Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend)
• Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross: Sex Information Online