A student has created ‘Lego-like’ vagina blocks to help women who suffer from pain during sex.
Laura Robens, who is studying for a Masters in Biodesign, wanted to create a revolutionary product as part of her work.
The 27-year-old took her own personal experiences into account, labelling this a “passion project”.
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Particularly, it was her experience with vaginismus, a condition which causes the vagina to involuntary tighten, that inspired her creation.
She named her product DIY – which stands for ‘Dilator Inside You’.
“DIY was born from my personal experience with vaginismus,” Laura, who is from Mauritius, but lives in London, told What’s The Jam.
“Creating this was very personal.
“I started something called the Vagina Dialogue, which was all about creating a space where I could hear other women’s stories, and collect data through interviews.
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“I wanted to re-design the vaginal dilator, which is the treatment used for vaginismus.
“It’s not a sex toy – but it could be if you wanted it to be!”
This is a speculative project and the tools haven’t been tested but they are based on scientific research papers.
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It has been a collaboration with the MA Biodesign team at Central Saint Martins in London.
DIY is composed of a trio of tools – a bioplastic vaginal dilator, a bioactive condom and bioactive lube.
Everything is created to be used in conjunction with one another, tackling multiple pain points.
The first part, made up of agar, which derives from seaweed, can be used to ease vaginal pain caused by the involuntary contractions.
Secondly, the condom aims to treat the vagina internally, through bioactive agents.
It’s made out of medical-grade bacterial cellulose and Laura grew it in coconut water.
She infused the material in hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and aloe vera extract.
The lube was designed to target pain points externally around the vulva, and aimed to deliver hydration and tissue regeneration.
Laura said: “The treatment available for vaginismus is a dilator, which looks very similar to a vibrator.
“It’s usually made out of plastic or silicone.
“From the majority of interviews I’ve conducted, I would say it doesn’t really work.
“Women have just been giving up, which then leads to surgery.
“It’s pretty wild to me that that is your only step forward.”
For the past two years, Laura has been researching sexual wellness through interviews and conversations.
She learned that 43% of women experience sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives – but only 14.2% will actually speak up about this to their physicians.
Laura even sat down with her mum, who discussed her own experiences with her daughter.
Laura said: “It was amazing to hear her stories of how she navigated conversations with her family and with her friends, and how she learned about intimacy.
“She is incredible and I loved that she was able to be open and honest in that conversation.
“Hopefully we have many more.
“It’s fascinating to see how times have massively changed and I think the speed at which things are changing now in particular, feels very optimistic.”
Laura launched DIY in year two of her master’s in biodesign and actively worked on the project for eight months.
She would love to make her idea a reality and create a product that can be available to the general public.
Laura added: “I would love to do it but I think it would probably take a very specific team of people.
“It would also require funding, resources and contacts.
“There would be many things that would need to come together.
“Because I’m coming from a very personal perspective with it, it’s not something that I would want to do alone.
“This project has really forced me to step into a space of holding myself accountable and being a bit more open and transparent.
“All around, it’s been a very challenging but rewarding experience.”
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