Sex dolls, also called Love dolls, Blowup dolls, or Dutch Wives (a term notably used in Japan), are sex toys that (usually) simulate the body of a human sexual partner. They are typically used for some form of sexual stimulation, which often includes sexual penetration.
Evidence of the use of sex dolls (or perhaps rather “masturbation dolls”) goes way back, and is, for instance, found in travel history records of 16th century French, Spanish, and Dutch sailors, who, during their long, lonely journeys, sometimes used dolls that were made of cloth.
Today, sex dolls can come in female or male versions, in many shapes and sizes, with different orifices, and with different types of hair and body textures, and/or a variety of skin colors. Love dolls are used by both men and women, although there’s a clear prevalence among men for using them.
Do mind that the “doll” doesn’t always represent an entire body; it may just consist of just a head, mouth, pelvis, vagina, anus, penis, or breasts, to give some examples. In the past, dolls were often made from cloth, rubber, or plastic, but today, commercial sex dolls are typically made from vinyl, latex, TPE, and/or silicone.
Cheaper sex doll models that barely simulate an actual person are often inflatable (sometimes only used as a practical joke i.e. offered as a gift), but the more lifelike ones are usually made around a foam core or metal skeleton and/or have water-filled body-parts.
Some more advanced sex dolls have parts that vibrate, make sounds, excrete liquids, can be placed in various positions due to flexible joints, or make movements, but they shouldn’t be confused with sex robots, which are much more advanced creations and a kind of humanoid machines that can simulate human behavior and perform multifaceted interactions.