One of the most common worries we see about almost any kind of sexual product is whether or not they are safe to use. This is a reasonable concern, as you’re going to be putting these balls inside your body, and don’t want to suffer any damage or illness as a result!
Are Ben Wa Balls Safe?
With almost any kind of sex toy, there is always a question of safety. Nobody wants to have an accident when it comes to their sexual organs.
Like most sex toys, ben wa balls are very safe to use, as long as you follow some simple advice.
Most importantly, you should only use ben wa balls as they are intended to be used. This means only inserting them vaginally. If you were to use them anally, there’s a good chance that the balls will travel deeper into your body. Only use toys with flared bases anally.
Another important safety tip is to always make sure that you clean your ben wa balls, and store them in a suitable location. Not doing this will allow bacteria to build up on the surface of your balls, which can then be easily transferred into your body and cause infections.
Safe Ben Wa Ball Materials
We’ve covered this in much more detail in our article on the different types of ben wa balls, but it’s still worth repeating here.
There are many different materials you can choose from when deciding on a set of ben wa balls. Each material has different properties, and some will be much more suitable than others.
The best materials you can choose are those that are non-porous. This means the materials contain very small pores, which don’t let any bacteria pass through. Once you clean these balls, they should be completely sterile and you won’t have to worry about any infections or diseases being transmitted into your body.
Porous materials are more dangerous, as their pores are large enough for bacteria to get inside the material. This means that no matter how clean you can get the surface of them, there is no way to fully remove all traces of bacteria.
If you have the option, always go for non-porous sex toys.
Can You Share Your Ben Wa Balls?
While you can let other people use your ben wa balls, it’s something that we’d always advise against.
When you share sex toys with another person, they become exposed to all kinds of bacteria. This bacteria may not be harmful to them, but it could easily wreak havoc if introduced to your own body.
Due to the risk of bacteria spreading through sex toys, it’s even more important not to share them if either of you is suffering from any STDs or STIs. These can also be carried to another person along with any bacteria.
If you absoultely must share any sex toys with other people, make sure to thoroughly clean them between users.
Sleeping With Ben Wa Balls
We don't usually recommend that you sleep while wearing ben was balls. While most of the time it’s unlikely that anything terrible will happen, there are a few things to consider that makes this a relatively poor choice.
Firstly, ben wa balls are designed to sit on top of your pelvic floor muscles. When you’re lying down, they will be much more likely to simply rest on the back walls of the vagina. While this might provide some benefit, it likely isn’t going to work out your pelvic floor at all.
Even if by complete chance your ben wa balls do happen to sit in just the right place, exercising your pelvic floor just as well as they do while you were awake, we sleep for a very long time. By the time you woke up and removed the balls, your pelvic floor muscles are likely going to be exhausted and sore.
Not only will this probably put any pelvic floor training you were planning on hold, it can also further damage your muscles, doing the exact opposite of what we want the ben wa balls to do.
Another issue is that you won't be able to feel the balls inside you while you sleep. This means there isn't really going to be any stimulation going on either.
Finally, when we sleep many of our pain receptors shut off. If something were to go wrong while you sleep, you might not even know about it until morning, and the problem can be a lot worse than if you were awake and able to remove them at the first sign of trouble.
So if you're not going to feel them, and they aren't really going to work the muscles they were intended to work is there any point to wearing them while you sleep? On top of that the risk goes up a lot while you are unconscious.
We always recommend that you are fully conscious and in control while using ben wa balls.
Ben Wa Balls During Periods
Generally, we advise against inserting objects into your vagina during your periods. These objects, including ben wa balls, can easily block the flow of blood out of your vagina. It’s much healthier for this blood to simply flow out naturally.
Ultimately though, it’s entirely up to you. Some women find that using ben wa balls during periods can actually help, and make the experience more manageable.
If you do decide to insert your ben wa balls during your period, don’t keep them in any longer than you would a tampon, and give the vagina some time to get rid of the blood. You also need to make sure they are thoroughly cleaned, as you are much more susceptible to infections during your period.
Ben Wa Balls During Pregnancy
We don’t advise using ben wa balls during pregnancy. The balls can easily bash against the uterus, which could cause damage, lead to early contractions, or even premature birth.
Sometimes a doctor may recommend a pelvic floor regime to you during pregnancy, and this may include the use of ben wa balls. If this is the case, be sure to carefully follow all of the advice your doctor gives you and only use them when they tell you that you should.
Ben Wa Balls Postpartum
Once you’ve given birth it’s an ideal time to start using ben wa balls. Throughout pregnancy, the vagina and surrounding muscles are subjected to an immense amount of strain. They will have definitely been stretched, and more than likely will be sagging.
Over time, these muscles may return to normal without you doing anything, but most women will need to perform some level of pelvic floor training to regain their former strength. Ben wa balls can help with this, as simply holding them in can give your muscles a workout, and combining them with kegel exercises can increase the benefit you get from them!
Ben Wa Balls and IUDs
Please avoid using ben wa balls if you are currently using any form of IUD contraception.
The balls can move around while inside you, and it’s very easy for them to knock into and dislodge an IUD. If this happens, it may no longer function properly as a contraceptive, and you may end up becoming pregnant.
The balls may also end up getting tangled in the strings (particularly if your balls also have string). If this happens, the IUD’s strings can scratch or tear the inner walls of your vagina, and cause all kinds of serious damage.
Ben Wa Balls and Mucus
Currently, ben wa balls have no real link to vaginal mucus. If you are seeing some discharge after or during your use of ben wa balls though, it’s usually better to stop using them until it clears up. It could be the result of an infection, which you should wait to clear up before using your balls again.
An interesting device that’s being worked on currently, are a kind of ben wa balls that are actually able to track your vaginal mucus while you wear them. This allows you to learn about how fertile you are on different days or at different times of the month!
While this technology is still relatively new, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine that these simple balls could be integrated with many new kinds of technology in the future to give you accurate information about what’s happening in your vagina simply by wearing them!
All in all, ben wa balls are quite a safe tool to use. As long as you follow our simple guidelines, and make sure to keep them as clean as possible, you’re unlikely to have any major problems.
If you do experience any pain, significant discomfort, or health problems while using ben wa balls, stop using them immediately. Consult your doctor to find the cause of the problem, and follow their advice about any future use.