In spite of the increasingly large number of lubricants available for sale in the U.S., there is little information about lubricant use among women. A new study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that women’s use of lubricants is associated with more pleasurable and satisfying sex.
Researchers led by Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH, Associate Director of The Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University assessed around 2,500 women over a five week period who were assigned to use one of six water-based or silicone-based lubricants.
Results found that the use of lubricant was linked to more pleasurable and more satisfying sex than sex without a lubricant. For vaginal intercourse, the use of a water-based lubricant or a silicone-based lubricant was associated with significantly higher ratings of pleasure and satisfaction. However for anal intercourse, only water-based lubricant was associated with significantly higher ratings of pleasure and satisfaction.
Additionally, lubricant use was only rarely associated with genital symptoms such as genital irritation or pain during sex.
“Findings from this study have the potential to help inform the general public about a common household product and its use during sex,” Herbenick notes. “We hope that more researchers will continue to investigate the use of a wide range of lubricants for their contributions to women’s and men’s sexual experiences.”
“This information is important for two segments of our society” explained Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine and Director of Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital. “For those lubricant users interested in the efficacy of water-based versus silicone-based lubricants we now have the data. For those younger men and women who believe that lubricants are only for people with sexual health issues this research shows that, in fact, lubricant use both enhances sexual pleasure and knows no age limit.”
About the Author: Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH, is Research Scientist at Indiana University and Associate Director, The Center for Sexual Health Promotion.
Full citation: Herbenick, Reece, Hensel, Sanders, Jozkowski, and Fortenberry. Association of Lubricant Use with Women's Sexual Pleasure, Sexual Satisfaction, and Genital Symptoms. J Sex Med 2010; Published Online: December 9, 2010. DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02067.x
About the Journal
The JSM is a peer-reviewed publication founded in 2004 and is the official journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, its five regional affiliated societies and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. It publishes multi-disciplinary basic science and clinical research to define and understand the scientific basis of male and female sexual function and dysfunction and carries an Impact Factor of 4.884. For more information, please visit www.jsm.issm.info. The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) was founded in 1982 for the purpose of promoting, throughout the international scientific community, research and knowledge in sexual medicine, considered as the subspecialty area of medicine that embraces the study, diagnosis and treatment of the sexual health concerns of men and women. The society has over 2700 members worldwide, with four regional societies that are affiliated with ISSM: the Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, Latin American Society for Sexual Medicine, and Sexual Medicine Society of North America. For more information please visit www.issm.info. For more information, please visit www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/jsm
