Toys that purr

Some vibrators provide an extra orgasmic buzz, combining a penetrative action with an appendage to stimulate the clitoris. At Fe-lines, a British sex shop for women, the top seller is the 7-inch, Rabbit Pearl Jelly - the infamous device that kept Sex in the City girl Charlotte busy in bed for a day. The Rabbit Pearl does everything a penis doesn't - the main shaft swivels around inside you while a vibrating appendage provides concentrated rhythm to those sensitive spots.

One caveat however: vibrators are not meant to be replacement penises, although some men worry that they are. They are a way to extend and heighten pleasure, to reach the spots that conventional masturbation techniques can't - and it's all in the name of getting to know your sexual self even better.

Men can get uppity when presented with a sex toy designed to penetrate, as one woman found out the hard way. 'Jack and I were having a bath together and it was getting really steamy,' admitted my friend Melvina. 'He was really turned on so I decided to bring out my new Dancin' Dolphin vibrator. I hadn't told him about it and wanted it to be a surprise. It's waterproof, silicone coated and has a curved nose to hit the G-spot. I explained all this to Jack but he became hysterical. He said if all I needed was 10 inches of silicone, what was I doing with him? He still hasn't come round to the idea, which is a shame because I've been having some real fun with it in the shower.'