Lubricant

Lubricants are used during sex by all age groups (30% of Germans use them). They have a medical significance if a lack of vaginal lubrication or a disease of the vulva or penis (e.g. lichen sclerosus, chronic non-specific vulvitis, chronic balanitis, vaginal dryness during or after menopause) impairs sexual intercourse. Medical lubricants are used in diagnostics and therapy, such as the use of catheters, endoscopes and digital examinations of the vagina or anus.

Lubricants reduce the mechanical irritation of the mucous membrane during sexual intercourse. Strong friction can lead to pain, in individual cases also to erosion and rhagades of the mucous membranes. Better lubricity reduces the risk of condoms tearing. Individual lubricants are also known as "massage gels in the genital area".

Lubricants are available on a water, silicone or oil base:

• The water-based lubricants (the majority of the products offered are water-based) preferably consist of demineralised water, glycerine and swelling agent and are suitable for use with condoms. Water-based lubricants have the advantage of being easy to wash off and leave hardly any stains. They may contain preservatives such as propyl paraben, ethyhexyl glycerine, polyhexanide, phenoxyethanol. Non-preserved water-based lubricants are to be classified as harmless from an allergological point of view.
• Silicone based lubricants are particularly suitable for prolonged sexual intercourse, including anal intercourse. Like lubricants containing oil, they form a kind of film on the epithelium of the mucous membrane. Not all silicone-based lubricants are compatible with latex condoms. Some contain preservatives.
• Fat-based lubricants are often not compatible with latex condoms. The fats or fatty alcohols (also known as lipogels) may dissolve latex, which may cause condoms to break. Often paraffin-based fats are also used. Note: Fat-based lubricants cause grease stains on the bedding.

Other additives in lubricants:

Preservatives used in lubricants: Benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, parabens, benzyl alcohol, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-13-diol, chlorhexidine digluconate, iodopropyl butylcarbamate, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, phenoxyethanol, imidizolidinyl urea.

Individual products contain additives such as aloe vera, vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract or kiwi juice extracts. The sense of these additives is not clear.

In addition, fragrances may be present in the products. These are relevant from an allergological point of view.

A majority of lesbian (60.1%) and bisexual-oriented (77.1%) women used lubricants according to a large American study. 25.7% of lesbian and 32.7% of bisexual women used them in the last 30 days (Hensel DJ et al. 2015).

According to a major epidemiological study, 70% of American men (n = 1,014) used commercial lubricants, 25% of respondents used lubricants in the last 30 days (Reece M et al. 2014).

In principle, condom compatibility and especially condom intolerance should be clearly marked on the packaging of the lubricant gel. Anyone using latex condoms (Caution: attention must be paid to latex sensitization of both partners) must also avoid various baby oils or Vaseline or other paraffin-containing products as lubricants.

Some lubricants have a significant effect on sperm motility (reduction of sperm motility up to 30% of the original values. Mesen TB et al. 2014) ).

1. Hensel DJ et al (2015) Lifetime Lubricant Use among a Nationally Representative Sample of Lesbian- and Bisexual-Identified Women in the United States. J Sex Med 12:1257-1266.
2. Mesen TB et al. (2014) Effect of vaginal lubricants on natural fertility. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 26(:186-192.
3. Mowat A et al (2014) The effects of vaginal lubricants on sperm function: an in vitro analysis. J Assist Reprod Genet 31:333-39.
4. Reece M et al.(2014) Men's use and perceptions of commercial lubricants: prevalence and characteristics in a nationally representative sample of American adults. J Sex Med 11:1125-1135.
5. Schick VR et al (2015) Lesbian- and Bisexually-Identified Women's Use of Lubricant During Their Most Recent Sexual Event with a Female Partner: Findings from a Nationally Representative Study in the United States. LGBT Health 2:169-175.