The Effects of Vaginal Lubricants on Sperm Function

This study identifies lubricants that have minimal negative effects on sperm function in vitro. Pre-seed® was the lubricant which had the least negative effect on sperm function. The most clinically relevant results obtained from the study were those regarding motility as motile spermatozoa are able to fertilize oocytes whereas immotile but viable spermatozoa are not. Spermatozoa treated with Pre-seed® showed significantly higher progressive motility than all other lubricants. In contrast, spermatozoa treated with other lubricants, including KY Jelly®, had significantly lower progressive motility. A clear difference in vitality of sperm exposed to different lubricants was also evident, with spermatozoa treated with Pre-Seed® having a significantly higher percentage of live cells compared with other lubricants.