Danes take aim at chemicals in sex toys

COPENHAGEN - The Danish government is planning action against potentially harmful chemicals in dildos and other sex toys made of plastic.

In a written response to parliament, Environment Minster Karin Ellemann said proposals were being drafted for a European Union-wide reduction of phthalates and similar substances in the toys.

Called “plasticizers”, phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics more flexible.

Ellemann said phthalates could disrupt the body’s hormone balance and diminish male fertility, deform baby boys’ genitals and advance puberty in girls.

The Danish association Sex and Society, among other groups, has called on authorities for several years to take action against potentially harmful chemicals, particularly plasticizers often used in sex toys made in Asia. Phthalates have long made headlines as possible carcinogens in children’s toys and have been banned in some instances.

In its online Green Tips, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency advises women who are pregnant or nursing not to use a dildo. In general, it said, dildos should be sheathed in a condom before use.

The agency said dildos posed no health risk when “used normally”, that is, once a week. But it warned that certain dildo products could be hazardous, especially for pregnant or nursing women, when used for an hour or more daily.