Lovense Survey Uncovers the Hidden Stigma Holding Men Back from Prostate Pleasure

LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Prostate pleasure may be one of the few forms of pleasure men can uniquely experience. But why do so many still hesitate to try it — or feel afraid to? A new survey begins to explain why.

This May, a large-scale Lovensesurvey asked men what stands between them and prostate pleasure — and revealed just how common that fear really is. The answer was astonishing: psychological barriers outweigh physical ones by more than two to one. Forty-two percent named a psychological factor as their single biggest obstacle. Only twenty percent pointed to something physical.

Reference: Lovense Reveals Results of 'Prostate Pleasure' Survey

The Body Was Never the Hard Part

Only one in five men named pain or hygiene as their primary concern about prostate pleasure — real worries, but ones that a well-designed prostate massager can resolve entirely. Lovense's Edge 2 addresses these pain points directly: this prostate massager is hands-free and wearable, with an adjustable neck that adapts to individual anatomy rather than demanding the user adapt to it.

The Conversation Most men Have no Courage to Begin

What proves far harder to solve is the psychological barrier. The first is communication with a partner. Eighteen percent of men named partner communication as the single largest barrier in the survey — bigger than pain, bigger than not knowing where to start. Even among men who already use prostate toys regularly, 26% said the partner conversation was the hardest thing they ever had to overcome.

The survey data supports this pattern: among respondents who had not yet discussed prostate play with a partner, a significant portion indicated that the fear of judgment or misunderstanding was their primary reason for staying silent. Many appeared to treat secrecy as the safer path — even when it created distance in the relationship.

Yet the survey also revealed a more hopeful pattern. Among men who had eventually shared their interest with a partner, the majority reported a neutral or positive response. Rather than avoidance, choosing to bring a partner in often turns out to be a solution that serves both sides.

Not everyone has the courage or the luck to receive that kind of acceptance from a partner. In those cases, a tool designed for shared interaction becomes especially important. Lovense's Edge 2 can connect to a partner's phone through the Remote app, letting them take control in real time — turning a concealed solo act into something shared. The device doesn't replace the conversation. But it offers an entry point for starting the experience together.

The External Labels Usually Build Internal Barriers

Beyond the fear tied to a partner's reaction, another fear runs deeper. One in four respondents worried others would assume they were gay or bisexual. Nearly a third feared others would see them differently.

The survey responses painted a consistent picture: many men internalized the belief that prostate pleasure conflicted with their sexual identity. Years of social conditioning appeared to shape this view more than any personal experience. Respondents frequently cited cultural environment and peer attitudes as the origin of their hesitation — not logic, not anatomy, but the voice of other people's assumptions.

Yet when asked what ultimately helped them move past this barrier, the most common answer among experienced users was simple: prioritizing personal experience over external perception. Those who had tried prostate play overwhelmingly reported that  once they experience the pleasure firsthand, much of the fear simply disappears.

And when the goal is to set aside the world's judgments and focus entirely on one's own sensations, immersion matters. Edge 2 can sync to different types of entertainment content such as games, videos, or music, allowing men to lose themselves in a fantasy world while exploring their own pleasure — addressing the psychological need as much as the physical one.

Even so, seventy-two percent of men in the survey said stigma never actually stopped them from wanting to try. The desire was always there. What held them back was never the body — it was other people's judgment, and their own lack of courage to take the first step.

"We believe every product we create exists to help people experience something different," said Dan Liu, CEO of Lovense. "But sometimes, simply choosing to try is an act of courage in itself."

For men lingering at the threshold of prostate pleasure, sometimes all it takes is a small push from the outside. That push can be technology.

SOURCE Lovense