| |
A:
Commercially popular lubricants damage sperm in a number of ways. Human sperm can survive and function as nature intended in narrow ranges of pH and electrolyte concentration. If pH or osmolality (a measure of electrolyte concentration) are too high or too low, sperm will not function optimally and may lose their ability to get to and fertilize the egg.
Unfortunately, other lubricants have not been formulated to match optimal sperm pH and osmolality and hence have been shown to either kill sperm outright or seriously hinder their ability to move. |