Their names are Kim, Sofia or Lily... The first French Sexy toy doll rental store opened on February 1st in the 14th district of Paris. To understand why some men enjoy having intimate relationships with these objects, 20 Minutes interviewed Nathalie Parein, psychologist and sexologist.

Why can men have sex with dolls?

It is a way to satisfy fantasies one-sidedly. This makes it close to masturbation, with an object that simulates the female body. The advantage for some is that it avoids all the negative elements associated with sex, such as: B. Breakdowns, relationship difficulties, misunderstandings, the inadequacy of the body...

Sex is sometimes complicated. With a doll or a sex robot doll we are alone in front of an object that we manipulate and that is not responsive or programmed. For someone who doesn't want to be confronted with reality, this is quite practical.

What profiles do these men have?

There are several profiles. Although we are careful to avoid any cliché, we can assume that people attracted to this type of practice are very inhibited people who find it difficult to build a relationship with someone. There are also people who have fantasies and appreciate being able to do whatever they want with these types of objects...

Today their use is very limited, it puts pressure on many people and it will not be tomorrow that these types of objects will be used routinely. But their use may initially arise from curiosity or a fashion effect.

Some come here as a couple. What does that reveal?

Again, it's a fantasy. There is a desire to explore something different, like going to a libertine club. It's a way to bring a little fantasy and novelty into the relationship. Different forms of sexuality can coexist within a couple.

There are now more advanced dolls, robots capable of saying “no” to the person using them. What inspires you?

It's embarrassing. It is certainly just a robot, but it conveys an impoverished image of women, refers to the idea of rape and thus a lack of consent in the sexual relationship. We do not know what psychological impact this may have on a person who regularly uses this type of robot. It has a negative impact on the idea of sexual relationships.

Everything is done so that these objects look more and more like a human, which causes confusion. There must be no implementation in reality. Some believe it is a therapeutic tool. On the contrary, I think it only reinforces certain fantasies. And the problem is that there is currently no legal framework. Nothing prohibits the use of these types of objects. Admittedly, we must respect the freedom of each individual, but at the same time it would be important to think about the possible limits when there are deviations and real ethical problems.