It's no secret that sexual education in the United States is often lacking. People don't learn about sexual pleasure in school, and sometimes they don't even learn how to properly protect themselves against STIs or how to use a condom. But LOLA, a women's lifestyle company, is trying to close the knowledge gap. Starting Tuesday, the company is selling sexual health kits, which will include LOLA’s guide to sexual wellness, five ultra thin condoms, five individually wrapped cleansing wipes, a bottle of water-based lubricant, and an on-the-go carrying pouch.
The box costs $34 and can be purchased on LOLA's website.
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What makes this box different from other sex kits is the sexual wellness guide, which was written with contributions from women’s health experts Corina Dunlap, ND, a board-certified naturopathic doctor and Wendy Hurst, MD, a board certified gynecologist. The pamphlet covers topics ranging from masturbation, foreplay, and STI protection to how to talk about sex with your partner and the anatomy of your vulva.
"In our experience, sex [is] accompanied by a whole slew of questions — and not just when we first started having it," the company's co-founders, Jordana Kier and Alex Friedman, said in a statement. "In our search for answers, we often found that starting conversations around sex was either awkward or we weren’t getting the kind of information we could trust." Other women the company spoke to in a survey felt the same way. LOLA interviewed more than 900 women between the ages of 18 and 25 about their sexual and reproductive health. About 54% of the women surveyed said they crave a trusted source of information about sexual health so that they can feel empowered and in control of their sex life.
With their sexual wellness kit, LOLA is attempting to be that source. "Our goal is to provide reliable answers to the potentially uncomfortable but completely normal questions we all have, ensure women have quality products with ingredients they can trust, and spark a candid conversation around the topic of sex," Kier and Friedman say. In addition to the sexual health guide, the kit includes practical and helpful items, such as condoms for preventing unwanted pregnancies, lube for comfortable penetration, and wipes to clean up afterward.
While it may seem like the kit is made specifically for women who are new to the sex game, Kier and Friedman say they made the kits with every woman in mind. The wellness guide's frank discussion of sexual pleasure, consent, and health will benefit anyone who wants to feel empowered in their sexual choices whether they're having sex for the first time or the hundredth.