Sexual Health

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Questions arising about toxicity of water-based lubes

Posted by HIM on Friday July 2nd, 2010

A recent study in the US found that 4 out of 6 of the tested water-based lubes were toxic to rectal cells and tissues.

“People who are using water-based lubricants during anal sex were three times more likely to contract rectal sexually transmitted infections than those who had anal sex without lubricant, found UCLA researchers in a laboratory study.” This was one of the presentations at the International Microbicide Conference held the end of May 2010.

Researchers of the UCLA study examined the correlation between STI prevalence and the use of lubricants.

They tested 6 different lubricants: Astroglide, Elbow grease, ID glide, KY jelly, Wet platinum and Pre. All were water-based but Wet Platinum, which is silicon based. They found that many of the most popular brands of lube are toxic to rectal cells. The only lubricants tested that were found to be safe were Wet Platinum and Pre.

This toxicity of the water-based products is due to their higher concentration of dissolved salts and sugars in the forms of glycerine. Glycerine concentrations are higher in water-based lube to give the lube its texture and feel. The cells in the ass have a lower concentration of sugar and salts than the lubricant, which creates osmosis, the process where cells seek equilibrium by forcing water out to create balance with its surrounding. These cells dehydrate and die, which, in this case strips the inside of the ass of its protective layer of cells. Therefore the rectum becomes much more susceptible for STI’s and HIV. Because Wet platinum and Pre are both isotonic that is, they do have the same concentration of sugars, salt and water as human rectal cells, they don’t do harm to the cells.

“We know we can't make any conclusions based on this one small study," Marc-Andre LeBlanc of the IRMA said in a news release. "Further research is absolutely necessary to understand the potential role of sexual lubricants in HIV transmission. We should be able to provide consumer guidance regarding lubes that are found to be safer than others." Currently there's not enough research to do so.”

Of course, water-based lubes do not increase the likelihood of STI or HIV transmission when used with condoms, since those cells will never come in contact with any viruses. Because more research has to be done and will be done, it remains important to use condoms for anal sex. For those who choose not to use condoms, switching to silicon-based lube will reduce the risk of cell damage with anal sex, and potentially the risk of STI and HIV transmission.

-Hans Bosgoed
Clinic Coordinator, HIM

Add Your Comment

Wednesday May 18th, 2011

Hi Caleb,

No, it's the opposite. One way to remember this is that the solutes never shift from one place to the other; it's always the water shifting around to create a balance. So in this case it moves from our cells to the lube, to reduce the higher concentration of solutes found in the lube. For more information, check out the IRMA factsheet and Q&A at http://www.rectalmicrobicides.org/resources.php

Sunday January 30th, 2011 by Caleb

Question...

If the case is that "the cells in the ass have a lower concentration of sugar and salts than the lubricant," then shouldn't the flow be from the higher concentration to the lower concentration (i.e. from the lubricant TO the anal cells)?

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