I remember in my college years (90s), I had a favorite sex shop. It was my favorite because it was the only one I knew. It was a progressive, female positive store in San Francisco. Clean, beautiful, friendly. I am sure I saw the other ones. The seedy, darkly lit stores with dusty, faded products by the window. The ones painted all black, with some red trim on the doorway and a busted neon sign proclaiming XXX Adult Store.

But I never noticed them. I would just walk right by, assuming they sold sex videos and had strippers in closets, willing to perform in a "bubble." Nope, never even noticed them. I noticed the one with the gorgeous, shiny storefront and massage oils in the window. Whenever I walked in, I felt privileged -like I had learned a new way of living- and I walked the aisles like a queen purveying her castle grounds ("Have fun storming the castle!").

I felt this way because I thought at the time- I was a member of the first generation to have sex toys. I was a lucky pioneer in the world of sex fun. Well, only a year ago, I found out the first generation to have sex toys was many centuries ago. And sex toy manufacturing has been around just as long. My favorite store -which looked like their grand opening ended only days before I walked in- was actually about 15 years old when I started buying their products.

In fact, in America's history, large scale manufacture of sex toys started as far back as 1970 in a small town called Chatsworth now the adult industry capitol. When I say large scale, I mean mass production where tens of thousands of sex products are made every day. Almost 40 years ago. Or so the campfire stories go at the trade shows. So really, the sexual pioneer I thought I was is actually a woman who would be pushing 60 right now. And while I often feel old, I am not at that age just yet.

But here is what is new. Here is where we all get to be pioneers right now. Today. Manufacturers are making an effort to make toys and sex cosmetics meet a much higher standard. Thirty years ago, we were gambling with our sexual health. But now, manufacturers are moving toward (or have already achieved) FDA regulatory status. They are going green in packaging and manufacture.

Materials don't just feel better. They are better for you. We even have vitamin enriched lubricants. Where packaging used to make claims of orgasmic bliss, they now tell us much more pertinent info. Since we are pioneers, though, I am going to spend my next few blogs on what these new buzz words mean. So keep an eye out!