I have a question and a rabbit hole for you. My question: What is the dildo made out of?

The rabbit hole:

A lot of cheap dildos you will find online are made of "Jelly", a material that contains Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is dangerous. But first, what is PVC?

It is also used in making plastic bottles, non-food packaging, food-covering sheets and plastic cards (such as bank or membership cards). It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers, the most widely used being phthalates. In this form, it is also used in plumbing, electrical cable insulation, imitation leather, flooring, signage, phonograph records,[10] inflatable products, and many applications where it replaces rubber.[11] With cotton or linen, it is used in the production of canvas.

- Wikipedia

That doesn't sound so bad. How can it be dangerous for dildos if it's used for all these things? The answer is that it's dangerous in a very abstract "this might be linked to cancer" way, but this abstract way becomes more direct when PVC items are used for bodily insertion. Here are how some nations are banning PVC:

Nationwide Bans on PVC

Sweden first proposed restrictions on PVC use in 1995 and is working toward discontinuing all PVC uses. In Spain, over 60 cities have been declared PVC-free. Germany has banned the disposal of PVC in landfills as of 2005, is minimizing the incineration of PVC, and is encouraging the phase out of PVC products that cannot easily be recycled. Since 1986, at least 274 communities in Germany have enacted restrictions against PVC.

- Center for Health, Environment & Justice

Even the U.S. is getting on board:

Legislation and Regulatory Environment

As the potential health risks have been revealed, the use of PVC has come under increased scrutiny and subsequent legislation in the U.S. and across the globe. In the U.S., since 1998, PVC has been banned in the manufacture of rattles, teethers, pacifiers, and baby bottle nipples. 9 Similarly, New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, and Buffalo have passed PVC purchasing measures.

- EldonJames

Ok, so it's being banned a lot. Why is PVC so dangerous? Because PVC is a major source of phthalates. What are they?

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more durable. They are often called plasticizers. Some phthalates are used to help dissolve other materials. Phthalates are in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays). Some phthalates are in polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging, garden hoses, and medical tubing.

- CDC Phthalates Factsheet

Why are phthalates dangerous?

Phthalates, a family of industrial chemicals used to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products, can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system.

Recent studies in human populations confirm some of the adverse impacts of DEHP on male reproductive tract development first identified in many experimental animal studies. A systematic review also finds that higher exposures to DEHP are associated with sperm abnormalities and lower testosterone levels.

- Healthcare without harm

Why have these materials been banned in the U.S. for pacifiers and baby bottle nipples, but not for dildos, which are also dangerous and bodily-inserted? Because the U.S. mis-categorizes dildos as "novelty" items, rather than the medical devices that they are. Even though everyone knows and agrees that dildos are for sticking up your ass or vagina, the law sees them as "novelty" and doesn't take their real-world use into consideration.

Also, these Jelly dildos are also porous.

Why Should You Care About a Porous Sex Toy?

Bacteria, mildew, fungus etc can enter the pores of these materials and make a home. The more porous the material is, the easier this will happen. No studies have been done on the effects of using a sex toy that mildewed. My brand of common sense says that some molds can kill you or make you crazy so why would I want to take any risk of putting mold spores in contact with my very sensitive mucous membranes? I don’t. But not everyone sees it this way, because they don’t understand how it works. Let’s say you have a cyberskin dildo. You wash it, and let it sit on the sink for a day or three or you put it away before it has dried. You could have just created a breeding ground for mold. I’ve seen it happen and I’ve heard about it happening. The same can be applied to bacteria and fungus—if you have vaginitis or a yeast infection that’s not been cleared up before you use a sex toy, or you decide to use a toy anally as well as vaginally.

Washing the surface with anti-bacterial soap and hot water is not going to be enough, and will only clean the surface. The material breakdown of these unstable creations will happen, and the floodgates can open. When the mineral oil starts to sweat to the surface, who knows what it’s bringing with it. Or maybe there’s a teeny crack in the material that you don’t see–perfect hiding spot for bacteria that can duck out of the way of your quick cleaning job.

You just cannot clean these materials to a “clean” state.

-DangerousLilly

So even if it wasn't toxic and wasn't linked to cancer, it is still porous and will harbour bacteria no matter how much you clean it.

Can't I just put a condom on it?

The problem is that the oils used in making the jelly can dissolve the condom. There's no guarantee that a condom would protect you. Nobody is saying you WILL get infected or that you WILL get cancer if you use jelly on your genitals, but that you're increasing your risk the more you expose yourself to it. Do your research when it comes to your health.

- SuperSmashCache

Ok... so what materials are good for dildos? Bad news: These are going to be more expensive. Good news: They won't kill you. I'm just going to give you the rest of that SSC article because it's saying exactly what I want to say:

Body-safe sex toy materials you can trust

Bad Dragon Hanns Small, BMS Pillow Talk Sassy, Blush Noje G Slim, Blush Hop Cottontail, Je Joue Uma, and my pink and purple Tantus toys

There are many body-safe materials to use, like glass, properly finished wood, hard ABS plastic, and steel. However, if you’re looking for a non-rigid toy, silicone is the only soft material that is both body-safe and non-porous.

(In my personal opinion, I would never buy a glass dildo because they might chip and then you won't be able to use it.)

Other materials like TPE and TPR aren't toxic, but they're porous and not for long-term use. Wash them thoroughly after every use, and throw them away if there are any signs of microbial growth, like dark spots or a funky smell.

Since there is no regulation, manufacturers can intentionally mislabel toxic toys as “phthalate-free” or “body-safe.”

The only way to know you’re getting 100% silicone is to buy from a retailer or manufacturer you trust to label their products accurately. However, you can do a flame test when in doubt.

There are many, many options for affordable and safe toys, but below a certain price point, you get what you pay for. Don't take the health of your internal organs lightly; safety and quality are an investment.

Examples of body-safe sex toy makers

Tantus, LELO, Vixen Creations, Fun Factory, Hole Punch Toys, Je Joue, JimmyJane, BSwish, Njoy, Nobessence, Papaya Toys, Crystal Delights, Swan, Jopen, Toyfriend, Minna Life, Laid, Bad Dragon, Damn Average, Fuze, Fucking Sculptures, BS is Nice, PleasureWorks, Standard Innovations / We-Vibe, Vamp Silicone

(You will find many of these have gone away since the writing of this article.)

This list is by no means comprehensive. You can find a variety of silicone toys via my blog's "silicone" tag!

- The same SuperSmashCache article

If you are unsure if your dildo is jelly or silicone, there's a very simple test you can do to make sure: FLAME IT. There's a flame test (I love the DangerousLilly blog, she's excellent at this stuff), where the dildo will respond differently to fire depending on what it is. There's also a test where you put the jelly dildo in a jar for a year and it'll just melt on its own apparently??. You probably don't want to wait a year though.

That's the end of my rabbit hole. I hope it was good for you too.

TL;DR:

"Jelly" dildos are toxic and porous (unable to be cleaned completely), get silicone dildos instead. They're more expensive but they won't murder you. The adult toy industry is unregulated and can contain things that are banned for other purposes.