Why Use Lubricants When Trying to Conceive?

A common problem for couples who are trying to conceive is vaginal dryness. The lack of a moist vaginal environment during intercourse can be painful, even harmful, for the female. The dryness results mainly from a lack of sexual arousal. The lack of arousal occurs if sex becomes mechanical and timed, which is often the case when couples have been trying to conceive for a long time. Such couples also often experience stress and depression, which further reduce sexual arousal.

Couples deal with the problem of vaginal dryness by reaching for the lubricant. It is estimated that over 25% of all U.S. couples that are trying to conceive always use lubricants during intercourse. What many of them don't know is that most lubricants can reduce their chances of conceiving a baby.

How do the Lubricants Inhibit Conception?

There are several hundred lubricants available in the U.S. A number of studies have shown that most existing vaginal lubricants on the market, including many of the major brands, are spermicidal (harmful to sperm). The lubricants wreck their havoc mainly by subjecting sperm to oxidation, changes in pH level, and other harmful environmental conditions.

In one study, published in 1996, scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas tried to determine the effects of natural vegetable oils and vaginal lubricants on sperm motility and viability. Two vegetable oil products commonly employed as vaginal lubricants and four widely used vaginal lubricants were investigated, including K-Y Jelly, Astroglide, Replens, and Touch. The sperm used in the experiment came from healthy donors, and was obtained through masturbation without the use of lubrication.

The scientists mixed the lubricants with the sperm and determined the effects on sperm motility at 1, 15, 30 and 60 minute intervals using manual motility counts and computer-assisted semen analysis. Sperm viability was evaluated with a dye known as Hoechst 33258. The effects of the lubricants were compared with those of a spermicidal agent, Gynol II, which acted as the negative control of the experiment. The effects of the lubricants were also compared with a conception-friendly medium, Ham's F-10, which acted as the positive control.

The investigation found that the lubricants inhibited sperm motility by 60-100% after 60 minutes of incubation. Sperm exposed to the lubricants Replens and Astroglide were non-motile and non-viable after incubation for 60 minutes, similar to the Gynol II negative control. Canola oil had no detrimental effect and was indistinguishable from Ham's F-10 in terms of sperm viability and motility. It was concluded that, for couples with infertility problems, the use of vaginal lubricants during intercourse is not recommended. In cases where a lubricant is essential, careful selection was deemed prudent in minimizing detrimental effects.

Another way that lubricants can inhibit conception is by hindering the movement of sperm. Being very thick, lubricants make it very difficult, even impossible, for sperm to make their way to the cervix. The situation is comparable to trying to swim through peanut butter.

The movement of sperm through the cervix and into the uterus is facilitated by cervical mucus, which, nearing ovulation, decreases in viscosity (becomes thin). The same mucus is what prevents sperm from entering the uterus during the non-fertile phase of the female cycle, when it increases in viscosity (becomes thick). Unless the sperm make it to the cervix, they have no chance of making it to the ovum. Trapped in thick lubricant, they become unable to make their journey and die.

Which Lubricants are Safe to Use When Trying to Conceive?

There are currently at least four vaginal lubricants on the market that are claimed to be fertility-friendly: Pre~Seed, Sasmar Conceive Plus, Zestica Fertility, and ConceivEase. The validity of at least one of these - Pre~Seed - has been verified through independent scientific analysis.

In the study in question, published in 2008 in the journal 'Fertility and Sterility', the scientists began by investigating the effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility. Semen samples were taken from 13 subjects and incubated in human tubal fluid (HTF), which is sperm-friendly. These would act as the positive controls of the experiment. Semen from the same samples were also incubated in 10% mixtures of the lubricants Pre~Seed, FemGlide, Astroglide, and Replens. After 30 minutes, sperm motility was assessed using a method known as light microscopy.

It was found that percent motility did not differ significantly between the HTF controls and Pre~Seed, while the lubricants FemGlide, Replens, and Astroglide produced a significant reduction in motility.

The scientists then set out to investigate the lubricants' effects on sperm DNA integrity. Semen samples from 12 patients were incubated in HTF. These, again, would act as the positive controls of the experiment. Semen from the same samples were also incubated in 10% mixtures of the lubricants K-Y Jelly, Pre~Seed, and FemGlide. After 4 hours, the sperm were analyzed for percent DNA fragmentation.

The experiment found that there was no significant difference in percent DNA fragmentation between the HTF controls and Pre~Seed, while there was a significant decline in sperm DNA quality with FemGlide and K-Y Jelly.

The scientists concluded from these two experiments that Pre~Seed does not cause a significant decrease in sperm motility or DNA integrity, in contrast to the other lubricants that were investigated.

Are there Any Better Alternatives to Vaginal Lubricant?

Even though there are apparently safe lubricants on the market, most authorities would agree that by far the best lubricant to use is the vagina's own natural secretion, which can be increased with foreplay. Couples are advised to take their time working up to intercourse, engaging in more touching, hugging and kissing. Fifteen to twenty minutes of foreplay should be enough to stimulate an adequate level of moisture, thus negating the need for lubricant. If foreplay fails, couples are advised to use warm water as a lubricant. Water isn't toxic to sperm and will not interfere with the sperm's ability to reach the cervix.

References:

Kutteh, W.H., Chao, C.H., Ritter, J.O. and Byrd, W. (1996): Vaginal lubricants for the infertile couple: effect on sperm activity. International Journal of Fertility and Menopausal Studies, Volume 41, Issue 4, Pp. 400-404.

Agarwal, A., Deepinder, F., Cocuzza, M., Short, R. and Evenson, D. (2008): Effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility and chromatin integrity: a prospective comparative study. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 89, Issue 2, Pp. 375-379.