How Water Lube and Other Lubes Differ from Fertility Lubricants

Personal lubricants are a fantastic way to boost sexual pleasure, reduce vaginal dryness, alleviate painful penetration, and improve fertility. But not all lubes are created equally and if you’re trying to conceive, a fertility lubricant is definitely something you’ll want to consider.   

In this article, we explain why personal lubes are not recommended when trying to get pregnant. And what a fertility-friendly lubricant can do to help your vagina and his sperm, while enhancing your sexual experience at the same time.  

What Is Lube?

Lube, also known as personal lubricant, is applied as a gel or liquid to improve pleasure and reduce friction, irritation, or dryness during sex. Although the female body naturally produces a vaginal , or cervical mucus, in preparation for sex, there are times when it needs a little help. This is particularly true when you want sex to be fun, enjoyable, and regular while trying to conceive.

The Benefits of Fertility Lubricant for Women

To start with, fertility lubricant can be a fun way to improve foreplay and sexual arousal when looking to conceive. However, it’s also helpful to relieve discomfort during penetration or intercourse due to a lack of natural vaginal lubrication [1]. The benefits of fertility lubricant for women and couples particularly are extensive and can sigificantly impact the chances of conception for most couples.

Vaginal Dryness

In some women, fertility medication can decrease the production of vaginal lubrication and cause vaginal dryness which can result in friction or pain during sex [2]. The emotional rollercoaster associated with hormone fluctuations along with the added pressure of trying to conceive can also affect cervical mucus. 

Stress

Often, the added pressure of trying to conceive can have an impact on a woman’s naturally flowing juices. Feeling stressed about having sex at the right time each month, or worrying about not getting pregnant can negatively affect the production of natural lubrication.  

When women feel stressed or worried, cortisol levels typically rise and testosterone, which is essential for the female sex drive, typically falls. Blood flow to the genitals also slows when the mind is feeling stress and this further inhibits the production of natural vaginal lubrication.

Vaginismus

Women who have suffered a form of pelvic trauma such as a pelvic injury, surgery, or sexual abuse can also experience vaginal tightening or spasming that causes pain during intercourse. Typically triggered by a belief that sex will be painful due to their previous trauma, the mind sends signals to the vagina to protect itself rather than lubricate for intercourse.

Known medically as vaginismus, this condition can be relieved with the application of lubricant and/or the use of vaginal dilators to relax the vaginal muscles. (If using vaginal dilators to treat vaginismus while also trying to conceive, a water-based fertility lubricant will also protect the outer layer of silicone dilators.)

Low Estrogen

Female hormones like estrogen are known to fall just before menstruation or while breastfeeding. Low estrogen levels can result in a decrease in natural lubrication and result in vaginal dryness which causes pain during sex [3] [2]. 

The Benefits of Fertility Lubricant for Men 

To conceive, you want as many sperm as possible to reach the egg’s surface. This is where several sperm work together to enable one sperm to enter the egg and fertilize it. Unfortunately, many types of personal lubricants are known to hinder sperm’s ability to swim, meaning less, or no sperm reach the egg.

The flip side to this is that many women taking fertility medication, or experiencing stress about getting pregnant, regularly suffer from vaginal dryness, and often require some form of lubricant to ease sexual discomfort.

How Are Fertility Lubricants and Personal Lubes Different?

The main differences between fertility lubes and personal lubricants are their ingredients and intended purpose.

Fertility lubricants are specifically designed to mimic natural cervical mucus and create a sperm-friendly environment that facilitates their journey through the reproductive tract to the egg. The best fertility lubricants are isotonic with a sperm-friendly pH level of 7. They should also be free from spermicides, synthetic fragrances, preservatives, sulfates, and other harmful substances.

Personal lubricants, on the other hand, are primarily designed to reduce friction and boost sexual pleasure. Their pH levels are rarely sperm-friendly and they often contain ingredients like spermicides that can harm sperm and hinder their mobility. Some personal lubricants also contain synthetic fragrances and preservatives that can increase the risk of vaginal infections.

What are pH Levels and Why Are They Important for Fertility?

The vaginal microbiome is a perfectly balanced environment of friendly and not-so-friendly bacteria. To maintain a healthy vagina, the microbiome operates under mildly acidic pH levels ranging between 3.8 and 4.5.

If something upsets this pH level,and the vaginal environment becomes alkaline, harmful bacteria can outgrow the friendly bacteria and cause yeast infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacterial vaginosis (BV), or sexually transmitted infections. Intercourse is not recommended for women recovering from vaginal infections, and complications can sometimes arise, which can further affect a couple’s timeline for getting pregnant.

That said, when women are actively trying to conceive, the pH of sperm is also an important factor to consider. Keep reading to understand why.

Why Fertility Lubricant pH is Important When Trying to Conceive

Semen pH levels are typically alkaline and range from 7.2 to 8.0. When sperm enters the vagina, it briefly changes the vaginal pH levels to a more alkaline state. Although this might seem harmful to the vagina, it’s a natural and temporary change that allows sperm to swim more freely through the reproductive tract to the egg. (Luteinizing hormone (LH) also naturally changes the vaginal pH to 7.0 just before ovulation for the same reason.)   

Therefore, when trying to get pregnant, using a fertility-friendly lubricant with a pH of 7.0 is recommended. This will not only help improve the sperm’s vitality and motility but also create the perfect environment for sperm to swim toward your egg.

The Different Types of Personal Lubricants

Personal lubricants are typically available in three types: water-based lube, oil-based, and silicone-based. While all three were initially designed to improve sexual pleasure and alleviate friction during sex, recent studies suggest some can be more harmful than helpful for the vagina.

Oil-based lubricants, for example, have been found to damage latex condoms, disrupt vaginal pH levels, and increase the risk of vaginal yeast infections. They’re also known to cause nausea and vomiting if ingested.

Silicone-based lubricants can irritate sensitive vaginal skin thereby causing more pain than they are relieving. Many silicone-based lubricants are also fragranced synthetically, which is known to upset vaginal pH levels and leave women susceptible to vaginal infections.

Water-based lubes, also referred to as lube water-based, contain water and non-irritating ingredients and are considered the safest regular lubricants. Although they may not last as long as oil and silicone-based lubes, they do not disrupt healthy vaginal pH levels and do not increase the risk of vaginal infections. They’re also much easier to wash off the body and bedsheets. 

If you are trying to conceive, fertility experts recommend choosing a hydroxyethylcellulose-based fertility lubricant with a pH of 7.5 to create the best environment for conception.

Are All Fertility-Friendly Water Lubes Safe?

According to several studies, many lubricants can adversely affect sperm’s vitality and ability to move swiftly through the reproductive tract to fertilize an egg [4]. While some brands promise fertility-friendly lubricants, their ingredients prove otherwise.

When trying to get pregnant, fertility experts therefore recommend checking the labels to ensure you are using an FDA-approved, fertility-friendly, water-based lubricant that contains hydroxyethylcellulose.  

Well established global brands like Conceive Plus are a trusted producer of safe fertility lubricant with a pH-optimized formula that is gentle on sensitive skin, and suitable for regular use. Conceive Plus Fertility Lubricant also includes magnesium and calcium ions to boost the fertilization process.  

Do fertility Lubricants Have a Shelf Life?

Neither fertility lubes or regular lubes will go off like food in a rancid or moldy way. But they will be less effective when they expire. To avoid loss of efficacy on your fertility journey, be sure to check the lube life on the label.

There’s no such thing as a life lubricant that lasts forever, and according to the FDA, it’s wise to update fertility lubricant use a fresh tube at least every other month.

What to Look for in a Fertility-Friendly Lubricant

When it comes to purchasing a safe, water-based, fertility-friendly lubricant for both the vagina and sperm, the following are key factors to look out for:

• No artificial colors, flavors, or fragrances
• No GMOs, petroleum, or preservatives
• pH level of 7.5 
• Contains Calcium & Magnesium Ions for sperm support
• FDA Cleared
• Published clinical data showing sperm safety

Conclusion

Using a water-based fertility lubricant when trying to get pregnant can ease vaginal dryness, improve sexual pleasure, and increase sperm motility. Personal lubricants, on the other hand, can be harmful to sperm and if made with synthetic ingredients, they can also cause vaginal infections.

Because certain ingredients can affect your vaginal health, damage sperm, and impact fertility, it’s important to check the labels on all fertility lubricants. Fertility lubricant should be free of harmful artificial fragrances, preservatives, have a pH of 7.5, and include hydroxyethylcellulose.

References

1. What to know about vaginal lubrication, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326450 2.  https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/experiencing-vaginal-dryness-heres-what-you-need-to-know 3

3. Medical News Today, What happens when estrogen levels are low?https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321064

4. Vaginal Microbiome and Its Relationship to Behavior, Sexual Health, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6743080/