30% of French Women Have Tried Anal Play on Partners: Sex Toys Going Mainstream

The landscape of sexuality is changing, particularly for women, and topics that were once taboo are increasingly being discussed openly. In light of World Sextoy Day on November 4th, a study by Ifop for the Swedish brand LELO shows that 30% of French women have engaged in anal penetration of their partner, a statistic that has doubled since 2017, illustrating a “radical transformation of sexual practices in France”.

Driven by pleasure, desire, or curiosity, some women are exploring anal pleasure using fingers, tongues, and increasingly, sextoys. “Anal sextoys are becoming mainstream and are no longer exclusive to women” highlights LELO in a statement. 14% of men have been penetrated with a sextoy, and 28% of men have used a vibrating sextoy on their partner. “Sextoys challenge traditional roles where the man penetrates and the woman is penetrated. They provide new freedom and creativity”, says Amandine Ranson, marketing and communications manager at LELO France.

For men, this experience seems to be linked to questioning stereotypes. More than half of the men who use anal sextoys describe themselves as “deconstructed”, compared to just a third of those who have never used them. Sextoys, once seen as simple gadgets for singles, are now tools for body exploration and achieving sexual equality for couples. Women are taking charge of penetration (69% have actively penetrated a partner in their lifetime (across all practices)), especially among higher socio-professional categories: 45% of female business leaders, 35% of female executives, and 28% of female employees have engaged in anal penetration of a partner. Men, on the other hand, more readily embrace passivity.

Both partners are finding pleasure in these activities. Among those highly satisfied with their sex life, 71% of women have penetrated their partner (compared to 31% who are not satisfied) and 82% of men have been penetrated (compared to 67% who are not satisfied). “Our Soraya Beads sextoy, for example, perfectly embodies this approach by enabling shared pleasure” comments Amandine Ranson.

These practices are now part of the typical sexual repertoire. One in five French people report having engaged in anal play during their last sexual encounter. For LELO, this shift represents a broader liberation: one of a sexuality based on curiosity and equality, not forgetting the importance of consent (even though 7% of women still report having been forced during their first experience of anal sex).