Rick Santorum and Sales of Chastity Belts

With Rick Santorum leading in the polls, birth control has become a hot topic. There’s a story going around today implying that Santorum’s discussion of  what he sees as the evils of contraception has led to an increase in the sales of chastity belts. They stem from this misleading title: Santorum Good for Chastity-Belt Sales? Manufacturer Says, “We’ve Had a Boost”

The quote is taken out of context in the title from an interview with Donald Hayes, owner of Chastity Belts USA:

VF Daily: Have you noticed an uptick in sales given the recent debate about contraception?

Donald Hayes, owner, Chastity Belts USA: We’ve had a bit of a boost in sales, but that’s typical this time of year, at tax time. I think [tax refunds] drive sales of any kind of non-essential items. People have some extra money, they say, Okay, I’ll buy some toys.

From this, it sounds that the boost in sales has nothing to do with Rick Santorum.

The article does provide information which I bet many were not aware of regarding the current market for chastity belts:

A quick, eye-opening search revealed that Amazon offers a couple dozen different models in its Health & Personal Care store, while eBay offers more than 200. It should be noted that many are models for men, and that the design and packaging of many belts made for men and women alike imply they are used for role-playing and bondage activities rather than strictly for ensuring continence. (Certainly a “ chastity belt G-string thong”  sends a mixed message.) But many other chastity-belt models look as if they will do the old trick.