I’m sure my friend has heard about the ‘teen sex doll with hymen’ that has recently been released. It’s just unbelievable! Of course, it’s somewhat disturbing to think of a piece of plastic that is clinically branded with a ‘hymen’, but what is even more worrying is the fact that someone felt the need to create such a thing in the first place.

At first I thought the idea was a joke, but when I looked into it more, I realized that this is a real thing created by company Realbotix. Apparently they’re trying to promote “self-exploration for teens”, but I’m not sure how understanding your sexuality is imparted by a plastic doll. As much as I’m sure they have good intentions, vibrators the idea makes me shudder.

I understand that the reason why this doll was created is to address the lack of accurate sex education provided by many school districts. But I can’t help but feel that this is taking things a step too far. It just seems like a cheap ploy designed to capitalise on a deeper issue. What’s more, it’s far from a healthy approach to teaching teens about sex.

Yes, teens should be equipped with sex education, and understanding the importance of authentic consent and sexual health, but I believe the more positive approach is that of investing in accessible and comprehensive sex education in public schools. To this end, I believe the money that has gone into research and creating the ‘teen sex dolls doll with hymen’ could be used towards providing safe sex products and education that could be taught in schools.

Ultimately it’s difficult to ignore the creepiness of this product. Sex is a natural part of life and should be celebrated, not reduced to a silicone plastic doll with a reprogrammable hymen. The current lack of sex education for teens needs to be addressed but providing teens with ‘hovering dolls’ as a substitute is really not the right way to go.