Comments on: Lubes. Kinda Bad Body News.

By: h sofia

h sofia — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 07:04:25 +0000

Steve, I don’t think the underlying message here is “don’t use lubes” but to be informed about what you’re getting - not all are created equally safe or suitable.

By: Ms. Theologian

Ms. Theologian — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:12:54 +0000

You know I actually had sexuality education through Our Whole Lives as a junior high kid.

I’d like to reiterate that we need to be careful of paraben use in all products, and many lubricants contain parabens (not all), that lubricants are very capable of changing the pH of the vagina, and that lubricants function as spermicide in many cases, which is important to know if you are trying to have a baby, as some readers are.. I don’t think that message is out there.

By: Steve Caldwell

Steve Caldwell — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:46:07 +0000

True that lubes can have spermicidal properties — however, it’s also true that most sexuality isn’t reproduction-focused but for other purposes even in heterosexual couples (express love and caring, relaxation, pleasure, etc).

And Planned Parenthood provides more than just pregnancy prevention — many affiliates also provide sexuality education on values, communication, etc just like we provide in our UU congregations. In fact, many of the curriculum trainers for the Our Whole Lives program work for Planned Parenthood when they are not working in our congregations.

By: Ms. Theologian

Ms. Theologian — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:03:49 +0000

Yeah, I’ve used Planned Parenthood services for years and support them in a number of ways. They are usually a really good source of information on preventing pregnancy.

But as I said, this is more about heterosexual reproductive sex, which doesn’t benefit from lubes. They prevent sperm from doing their thing.

By: Steve Caldwell

Steve Caldwell — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:33:42 +0000

The flip side of this article is that water-based latex-safe lubricants reduce the risk of condom breakage, provide the needed lubrication for folks who engage in anal intercourse, and improves pleasure.

Here’s what Planned Parenthood says about lubricants:

“Changes in sexual arousal and lubrication patterns may also be associated with other events in a woman’s life. Having a new sex partner, or being with the same partner for many years, may affect the patterns of all the stages of a woman’s sexual response cycle: desire, arousal, excitement, and orgasm. Various health conditions — including depression and diabetes, for example — may also affect her sex drive. Age itself also has an effect. In fact, during perimenopause and menopause, many, if not most, women experience vaginal dryness.

Women who would like increased lubrication should not be shy about using over-the-counter lubricants to enhance sexual pleasure. There are hundreds of products on the market to choose from. There are only two important cautions: Oil-based lubricants can damage latex condoms. Silicone-based lubricants can damage barrier contraceptives made of silicone, such as Lea’s Shield and FemCap, and a wide variety of sex toys that are also made of silicone. So, if you use sex toys or latex condoms, you won’t go wrong if you purchase a water-based lubricant.”
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/sexual-health/ask-dr-cullins/ask-dr-cullins-sex-5263.htm

Since Planned Parenthood is a non-profit healthcare provider who isn’t making any money off their recommendation of over-the-counter personal lubricants, this advice should be good medical advice without financial conflicts of interest.