BOSTON — XBIZ caught up with Stephanie Berman, owner and president of Berman Innovations, to talk about its flagship product The Semenette, a toy geared towards lesbian couples who want to mimic intercourse and ejaculation during lovemaking.
What inspired you to create The Semenette?
In the past, in my personal life, I have had relationships with both men and women. Having experienced intimacy with both "sides," I have a keen understanding of the differences between what heterosexual couples and same-sex couples can do and experience in the privacy of their bedroom. My inspiration in designing and developing The Semenette was to afford same-sex couples the opportunity to mimic the intimacy and experience a heterosexual couple has.
I have also spent the last 10 years of my professional life working in the women's reproductive health industry. Once I married my wife and we began exploring options to conceive a child, I learned that there was no toy available that was designed to allow people to simulate heterosexual intercourse and the ejaculation process at home.
Despite there being many couples, including my wife and I, that were eager to be able to have an intimate and private experience using a toy that allowed us to mimic an ejaculation, there were absolutely no appropriate options available. This got my wheels churning, so I brought together my experience in the women's reproductive health industry, as well as my own previous personal experience, to create a toy that is not only highly functional but provides the intimacy, romance and fun that couples like us were looking for.
Can The Semenette actually be used for artificial insemination or is it just meant to simulate ejaculation for sexual purposes?
While The Semenette was not designed to be used as an artificial insemination device, my wife and I took the product one step further on our own, to try and achieve pregnancy. The Semenette was created to simulate an ejaculation while having intercourse, giving all people the opportunity to experience sex and intimacy in a way they may not have before.
When did The Semenette debut? I see you can buy it online – are there any stores carrying it at the moment?
The Semenette officially debuted in February 2014. Currently, Tulip Toy Gallery in Chicago is carrying the toy but we are in talks with several other stores and hope to have The Semenette offered at other retailers in the near future.
What do you see for the future of The Semenette? Are you eyeing FDA approval?
The future of The Semenette looks very bright. We are planning for appearances at numerous Pride events this season and we are exploring more and more opportunities to make The Semenette more widely available.
With regards to FDA approval, we are currently not seeking it as The Semenette was not intended to be used as a medical device or for a medical purpose. However, we are hoping that people will see the benefit of being able to use this toy in the privacy of their home to mimic traditional heterosexual intercourse and the ejaculatory process. We are also looking to expand not only the available colors, but are working on designing and developing non-phallic shapes as well.
Currently available in three colors — flesh/vanilla, tan/caramel and brown/chocolate — The Semenette can be purchased online for $199.95.
For more info, visit TheSemenette.com.
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