(( VaginaPagina ))

Hi!

So Because Of Reasons I just ended up doing a quick bit of research on how much we know about the effects of lubricants on sperm and therefore on trying to conceive. All links go to paywalled articles, but I'm pulling the info from the publically-viewable abstracts (can read in more depth if anyone's keen for me to do so).

A 1998 in vitro study found that all the forms of lube they tested had a negative effect on sperm motility. In 2011 an in vitro comparison of "nonspermicidal" lubricants found that Felis, Replens, and Aquasonic Gel had negative effects on sperm, but Pre-Seed (... what a terrible name) was fine. In April we've got another in vitro study comparing a wider range of lubricants (modified human tubal fluid (mHTF) control and in 10% Pre-Seed, Astroglide, and KY products (Sensitive, Warming, and Tingling) and baby, canola, sesame, and mustard oils), again finding that of the commercially-produced lubricants Pre-Seed and baby oil were the least bad for sperm, with mustard oil having an... interesting effect. Yet Another In Vitro Study (March 2014, comparing Sylk, Conceive Plus, glycerol (!!!), Johnson's Baby Oil, SAGE Culture Oil, Yes, Forelife, MaybeBaby and Pre-Seed) found again that Pre-Seed was best for vitality and Forelife was worst; Pre-Seed was best for motility and Sylk the worst; and none of these lubricants had any impact on DNA integrity; Conceive Plus was apparently the second-best lube for sperm function.

However, in contrast to in vitro studies, a longitudinal in vivo cohort study published in June (i.e. tracking how long it took actual humans using each type of lube to conceive versus humans not using additional lubricants, as opposed to - coarsely - dumping sperm in a warmed petri dish full of lube and videoing them) showed no effect of lubricant choice & use on ability to conceive.

The authors of that last study understandably call for a randomised controlled trial; in the meantime - and I am not a doctor! - I'd suggest that there's little benefit to avoiding lubricant or buying more expensive lubes (the longitudinal cohort study of actual patients showed no effect), but if you do want to minimise that risk consensus seems to be that Pre-Seed (I am still not over the name) is the way to go.