Dealers in sex toys generate billions of dollars every year. Their products are highly diversified and now available worldwide. It appears that the business of artificially or technologically satisfying sexual desires is in vogue. Today, single, married, young, and old individuals patronise sex toy shops, while manufacturers continue to produce increasingly alluring and sophisticated devices. There seems to be no end to their innovation.

Some of these devices now mimic the responses of human partners during sexual activity. While this may be true, we must examine the origins, intentions, and effects of these products on users, particularly their perceived spiritual and psychological implications.

Sex toys are not new. Their history dates back to ancient times, when carved objects representing the male organ were used. Civilisations such as the Roman, Greek, Chinese, and Indian cultures fashioned such items from stone, iron, gold, wood, and other materials, often for masturbation. In some instances, including in parts of ancient Greece, these objects were associated with the worship of sex deities, where they were displayed and used in practices deemed immoral.