Introducing OhNut, the silicon buffer making sex more comfortable

OhNut is the latest product making waves in the Femtech market. The silicon buffer is fast becoming a way for many vagina owners to enjoy painless sex. Here Founder Emily Sauer talks Nak-Ed through owning a product in the Sextech space and the hurdles she faces trying to bring education and support to the masses.

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“For over 10 years I assumed that I was unrelatable in my experience of painful sex during deeper positions. With very little confidence I tried my best to figure out what was wrong, but everything pointed to nothing.”

That is how founder of OhNut, Emily Sauer, started her journey on the way to creating the latest device in the Sextech market.

For Sauer, pain was limiting her experience in the bedroom. In fact, it’s an experience many vagina owners face.

Pain from penetration can happen for a number of reasons, lack of lubrication, ongoing infections or Vaginismus, which is the body’s automatic reaction to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration.

Whenever penetration is attempted, your vaginal muscles tighten up on their own. Making it painful and sometimes impossible for partners to be fully submerged.

Year after discouraging year, Sauer had no idea that our medical institutions have historically revolved around the male biological template, ignoring women’s health almost entirely.

“Doctors were dismissive, erotic websites boasted ‘bigger is better,’ and any product that could possibly help was marketed for male performance. Something needed to change, and the idea of a pink frosted donut on a penis that could customize penetration depth, well – that felt like a delightful place to start,” says Sauer.

Ohnut is the revolutionary wearable designed to customize penetration depth during sex. It’s linking feature gives users the ability to stack 1 to 4 soft rings onto a penetrating partner, which compresses down, acting like a buffer.

Without fear of pain, there’s a new dynamic of confidence and security in the bedroom.

OhNuts design is one of the many products now making waves within the Femtech sexual health sector. One which is forecasted to be worth $1.1 trillion by 2027.

The invisible barriersbarriers

Yet for Sauer, throwing herself into the Sextech market didn’t come without its anxieties, including the fear with the surrounding stigma that is still present today if the product didn’t work out she would be unable to get another job.

“The term ‘Femtech’ was coined not that long ago in 2016 and at the time it was almost exclusive to menstrual and pregnancy health. So when I first came up with a sexual health product idea back in 2018, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted my name to be associated with it.”

Now, even as the company finds daily success, Sauer still struggles with the lack of education and funding around women's pelvic health, particlaurly when it comes to sex.

“This has led an entire population to feel unsupported, ashamed, and unable to make empowered decisions about our health. That’s compounded when companies like ours are deemed too “sexually explicit” for social media platforms that are meant to connect one another,” says Sauer.

This ‘too sexually explicit’ label that Femtech companies are given across websites such as Facebook and Instagram makes it harder to advertise and grow awareness. Ultimately the stigma that surrounds the market is stopping thousands of women finding support.

“We’ve struggled with getting ads approved, our educational videos get taken down from TikTok, and more just because we are a company that deals with sexual wellness,” says Sauer.

Owning any businesses in the sexual wellness space is always going to come with its challenges. Closed minded ideals often stop good natured education and support from reaching the masses.

Yet no one starts a Femtech business for the popularity of it. As Sauer points out, it's about sparking hope in people that they're not alone, and that their problems can have a solution.

“If you’re passionate about your idea and are thinking about starting a business, start a conversation with your friends, family, and people on the street. The trick is to find out if it sparks action and emotion,” she says.

“If it helps people believe something in themselves that they didn’t think was possible. Whether or not you feel like you have the tools or the training to make the leap, if that validation is there – just keep going.”

For companies likelike OhNut, public support goes a long way. Follow OhNut on social media at @ohnutco or sign up for their newsletter.