Personal lubricants and the risk of STI’s

Are you aware that certain personal lubricants may be putting you at greater risk for contracting an sexually transmitted infection (STI)? Several recent studies, including ones from the Johns Hopkins and the World Health Organization (WHO), have suggested that the risk for contracting an STI increases with the use of certain lubricants.

High Osmolality Lubricants

Would you use a lubricant that actually made things dryer? It sounds counterintuitive that a lubricant would dry you out, but basic science supports the fact that many lubricants do just that. You know when your hands feel really dry and you get a moment of relief by putting them under water but then your hands end up being even dryer than they were before because the water evaporated from your skin quickly? Basically, the same thing happens with some common lubricants.

Let’s take a quick trip back to high school biology. Osmosis is the process by which a solvent will pass through a semipermeable membrane to reach equilibrium with the solvent on the other side. Osmolality is the measure of the salinity of a solvent, and a direct measure of its ability to affect the moisture content of your cells.

In this scenario, the solvent is the lubricant and the membrane is your cell walls. Functionally, high osmolality lubricants will pull an excessive amount of moisture out of your vaginal or rectal tissues, causing them to dry out and more easily be damaged by friction and other forces. The vagina naturally has an osmolality rating of 260-290 mOsm/kg. Some major name brand lubricants have osmolality ratings ranging from twice to tens of times this natural concentration. Based upon the inherent properties of certain chemicals such as propylene glycol or glycerol, lubricants containing these chemicals are naturally going to have high osmolality ratings.

So, what does this have to do with STIs? Well, not only do these lubricants actually dry you out, but they make you more susceptible to STIs because your cells are more susceptible to physical damage from the increased friction. When you use these lubricants, the natural moisture that your body creates is actively being pulled out of your cells, so instead of increasing the moisture and pleasure, you’re stripping your cells of your body’s natural moisture and decreasing pleasure.

Nonoxynol-9 and STIs

Nonoxynol-9, or N-9, is a spermicide that is added to certain lubricants to help prevent pregnancy. However, several recent studies have shown that N-9 is not only effective at killing sperm cells, but also the cells lining your vagina or rectum. N-9 works by creating holes in the cell membrane, the outermost layer that protects cells, and stopping its biological functions. N-9 is so good at its function that it not only ends up affecting sperm, but also any other cells it may come into contact with. By deteriorating the cells that line the rectum and vagina, it can increases the likelihood of an STI entering the damaged tissues and bloodstream.

Oil-based lubricants and STIs

Did you know that oil-based lubricants (think Crisco, Vaseline, baby-oil, etc.) can degrade the integrity of latex almost immediately upon contact? In fact, research indicates that when an oil-based lubricant is used with a latex condom, that condom is more than twice as likely to break when compared to latex condoms used with water-based lubricants. Therefore, using oil-based lubricants increases the chance of contracting an STI (and getting pregnant!) by increasing the chances of an unintended exchange of bodily fluids, that might otherwise not take place.

Safer alternatives

There are options that can both give you the moisture boost you need to increase pleasure and prioritize your safety.

Silicone-based lubricants

If you’re using a silicone-based lubricant, you don’t need to be worried about an increased chance of contracting STIs. There are no personal health or safety concerns with silicone-based lubricants unless you are using them with silicone toys. Sex toy safety is a topic for another post, but suffice it to say that you should not pair silicone lubricants with silicone toys because the lubricant can adhere to the toy and cause damage, rendering it unusable. Who wants a sex toy they can’t use?

If, however, you aren’t planning to use a silicone toy, you might consider a silicone-based lubricant because they’re hypoallergenic, waterproof, and odorless and tasteless.  

Water-based lubricants

If you feel like you’re overwhelmed by your options, water-based lubricants can be your fallback option. There aren’t any material concerns and they have high biocompatibility. When in doubt, go water-based.

You don’t have to stop using personal lubricant. You just have to choose wisely

This isn’t meant to scare you! There isn’t any reason to stop using personal lubricants, especially if they are helping you enjoy sex more (how many times have you enjoyed dry, painful sex?). Being choosy about the lubricants you use can increase your pleasure and prioritize your safety. Sex should be pleasurable, and an essential part of embracing that pleasure is knowing that you are fully safe in the hands and touch of your partner.

Are you finding it difficult to enjoy sex? If something is holding you back from embracing your sexual identity and leaning into the pleasure you’re entitled to, working with a sex therapist can be a game-changer. Learn more about sex therapy here.