Today was a pretty chill day in Buenos Aires as I continue adjusting to life here. I went to a local grocery store to grab water bottles (since I can’t drink tap) and snacks. While there, I decided to check their toiletries section to see if I noticed anything even remotely related to sexual health care. I noticed tons of pads and tampons, but the section quickly jumps to diapers and baby items right next to them. I remember thinking to myself that a big section and step is missing in all of this! After I left the grocery store, I decided to go for a little walk around the neighborhood before heading home. I noticed a Farmacity, a large chain of pharmacies open 24/7, nearby, so I decided to go in. It seemed similar to a smaller, local version of Walgreens. It was a small shop and contained many things beyond just medication, such as magazines and hygiene products. I found the aisle for contraceptives, and it was mainly all condoms. They had different sizes of packs and a variety of brands. Most packs cost about $1500 or ~$12 USD. Along with the condoms, I spotted some lube and vaginal creams. However, one finding surprised me more–they sell sex toys here. It was super surprising considering it is challenging to find sex toys in stores in the United States outside of specific sexual shops and online providers. But, in Buenos Aires, you can choose a vibrator out of several options at your local Farmacity. On a more serious note, this shows some insight into how Argentinians view sex. When habits like masturbation or usage of toys are encouraged, it perpetuates a culture that praises pleasure and enjoyment. Moreover, the inclusion of these products in the store similar to any other aisle and right next to the contact solutions demonstrates normalizing sexuality within the culture. I hope to see these concepts in other forms as I continue exploring more stores, but it is a great start. I also heard Farmacity sells a few methods like oral contraceptives and the ring over the counter, so I am going to visit more locations and explore this too. I didn’t think seeing a sex toy in the local pharmacy chain would be the highlight of today, but it was pretty exciting to see an example in a culture where sexuality may be more normalized and expansive than our own.
