The effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility in vitro.

Apart from the documentation of the spermicidal effects of KY Jelly and Surgilube, little information about the effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility has been available. Fifteen substances utilizable as vaginal lubricants were therefore tested for their effect on sperm motility in vitro. Petroleum jelly and glycerin had minimal detrimental effects on motility and apparently are the lubricants of choice when an infertility problem exists.

PIP: Commercially available vaginal lubricants were evaluated for their effect on sperm motility in an in vitro sperm motility test. 20 samples were tested in duplicate; and motility was evaluated at 15 minutes and 2 hours; qualitative assessment of motility was made by using a scale of 0-4+, with 0 representing no motility and 4+ representing motility equal to the original motility of the sample before exposure to vaginal lubricant. The lubricants tested, followed by 15-minute and 2-hour results, are as follows:

Control: 4+, 3-4+; H-R Jelly: 1+, 0; KY Jelly: 0, 0; Lubifax: 0, 0; Surgilube: 0, 0; Ortho-gynol: 0, 0; Alpha-Keri: 0, 0; Keri lotion: 0-1+, 0; pHisohex: 0, 0; Searle skin lotion: 0-1+, 0; vegetable oil: 3+, 2+; olive oil: 2+, 3+; safflower oil: 3+, 3+; peanut oil: 3+, 3+; Vaseline petroleum jelly: 2-3+, 3-4+; and gylcerin: 3+, 3-4+.

Therefore, petroleum jelly and glycerin had minimal detrimental effects on motility and apparently are the lubricants of choice when infertility problems exist.
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1237417&dopt=Abstract