Sperm-friendly lubricant : fact or fiction

Abstract

OBJECTIVE : To assess the effects of “sperm-friendly” coital lubricants on sperm motility. METHODS : This study compared the effects of five lubricants (Optilube®, Pre-Seed®, Yes Baby®, olive oil, and egg white) on sperm motility in 60 normozoospermic semen samples obtained from men attending a private fertility clinic. Samples were exposed to each of the lubricants, with untreated samples serving as controls, and were examined microscopically at four defined time-points from 2 to 72 h after liquefaction. Sperm motility was graded according to World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS : With the exception of egg white, all lubricants caused significant (P < 0.001) reductions in sperm forward progression compared with untreated controls until 24 h after liquefaction. Furthermore, between-group comparisons of the commercially available lubricants revealed statistically significant differences in forward progression motility: Pre-Seed® was superior to Optilube® (P < 0.001), which in turn was superior to Yes Baby® (P < 0.001) at 2–4 h after exposure. Significance (P < 0.001) between Pre-Seed® and Yes Baby® was maintained until 24 h. CONCLUSION : Although spermatozoa exposed to Pre-Seed® demonstrated greater motility than spermatozoa exposed to Yes Baby®, claims that these lubricants are sperm-friendly were refuted. Conversely, egg white was shown to be a sperm-friendly lubricant for couples who are trying to conceive. SYNOPSIS : Claims that so-called sperm-friendly lubricants enhance fertility were refuted, although egg white appears to be a viable option for couples trying to conceive.