• Dreamstime

Dear Reverend,

Who buys more sex toys, men or women? Do men buy more because they don't have a woman or they're not getting enough to satisfy themselves? Or do women buy more because they don't have a man? Or do men and women buy them evenly?

Fore Playa (male, 65)

Dear Fore Playa,

In 2014, data journalist Jon Millward analyzed 1 million sex toy sales at the UK company Lovehoney. He found that the customer base of 300,000 was evenly split between men and women. That was the biggest poll I could find (stop giggling), but my trusty assistant and I decided to do a bit of (completely unscientific) research ourselves and called a couple stores.

First was Good Stuff, a local purveyor of adult items. The shopkeeper we spoke with estimated that the sex toy clientele was roughly 60 percent men and 40 percent women, with an average age of 35 to 45. Most popular among men were cock rings and strokers — aka "pocket pussies." At the top of the list for women: "a vibrator."

Next we called Adam & Eve, a national chain that proclaims itself the "#1 Adult Toy Superstore." A representative told us its customer base was 55 percent men and 45 percent women, with an average age of 45. Top sellers for men were vibrating penis rings and the Super Head Honcho Masturbator. Women gravitated toward vibrating clitoral stimulators, particularly from a brand called the Satisfyer.

Human beings of all gender identities buy sex toys for all sorts of reasons — certainly not just because they don't have a partner. Quite often people buy them to use with a partner. Adult toys are just that: toys. They're fun to play with, and they help you achieve orgasm. What's not to love? Don't overanalyze the statistics; just enjoy the fact that the toys exist.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend