

Kiwi is an entry pain device designed for individuals experiencing burning, tearing sensations during vaginal penetration or struggling with discomfort, aiming to make progress feel genuinely good.
Why we made Kiwi
75% of women experience painful sex at some point, a frequently overlooked issue with limited at-home treatment options. ‘Entry pain,’ felt at the vaginal entrance during or after intercourse, is often described as burning or tearing. This discomfort triggers a protective response in the body, potentially reinforcing pain over time. Painful sex is normalized (“First time always hurts!”) and stigmatized (“My doctor told me to have a glass of wine”), causing many women to normalize or dismiss their pain or prioritize their partner’s experience. Persistent pain can lead to anxiety about penetration and avoidance of intimacy. Our challenge was clear: How do we design a product for individuals hesitant about using anything near their vagina? How do we equip clinicians to address symptoms early? We needed a biopsychosocial approach to solve this systemic and human issue, which lacked obvious solutions.
In 2018, Emily Sauer, CEO of The Pelvic People and Inventor-by-Necessity, took matters into her own hands after a decade of seeking help, prototyping her first product in her kitchen to address ‘deep pain.’ Five years later, Kiwi is recommended by over 5,000 clinicians and is involved in three IRB-approved studies. The Pelvic People enlisted designer Nienke Helder, also a patient, to tackle entry pain, resulting in Kiwi, a category-defining, empathy-driven design aiming to transform the defeating experience of entry pain into a positive cycle. Our mission is to end painful sex, and we’re just beginning.
Pelvic floor innovation
Entry pain is complex, which is why Kiwi is designed to be straightforward. It addresses both entry pain and systemic barriers to care, approved by clinicians, compatible with partners, and designed to feel positive to use. Many consumer devices for pelvic pain focus on penis-oriented goals, while medical solutions often view the vagina as a single body part, neglecting the holistic person. With input from over 90 clinicians and stakeholders, we integrated complex insights into pelvic health, resulting in a tool that clinicians endorse and people want to use. After all, tools are only effective if people are willing to use them.
Kiwi revolutionizes the approach to entry pain with its non-phallic design, targeting both physical and psychological contributors to pain. It’s the world’s first multipurpose device, inviting shallow penetration, offering multiple massage options, and utilizing vibration to create positive associations with touch. Kiwi also encourages partnered use, with a subtly waved surface accommodating anatomical diversity, an ergonomic form facilitating evidence-based massage techniques, and two vibration motors for enhanced blood flow and clitoral stimulation. Used in the comfort of home, Kiwi breaks the cycle of fear-induced pain, bringing control and pleasure to the healing process.
Category:Personal ExperienceYear:2024Designers:Emily Sauer, Allison Danish, Saul Doane, Studio Nienke Helder, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsManufacturer:The Pelvic People, Beacon, New York, USA