This spring, Pure Romance was thrilled to see Indiana University (IU) researchers Dr.
Debby Herbenick and Dr. Michael Reece launch a much-anticipated research study -
the first-ever large scale study of personal lubricants.
When Pure Romance asked Dr. Herbenick and Dr. Reece to design a big study, they took the challenge to
heart! More than 2,500 women were enrolled, making it by far the largest and most comprehensive study ever conducted on women’s use of personal lubricants. Women who joined the study were asked to use one of six different lubricants during the study.
Three of these lubricants were Pure Romance products (Just Like Me, Sweet Seduction, and Pure
Pleasure) and the other three lubricants were mainstream brands that are widely available to
women in local stores.
The study was considered “double blind” meaning that neither the women participants nor the research team knew which woman was getting which lubricant. That way, no one’s bias would enter into the picture and the research team would get the most valid study results. During the 30-day study period, women were asked to use the “study
lubricant” whenever they had sexual activity (masturbation,partner play, vaginal sex, or anal sex)and to
complete online surveys about their sexual experiences and use of the lubricant. At the end o f the
study, tens of thousands of surveys had been completed by these women.
What We Learned
Lubricants and Pleasure -
The biggest take-home message from this study is that lubricants tended to make sex feel more pleasurable
and satisfying for women in the study (duh). Lubricants are not just meant for women who experience vaginal dryness or other sexual difficulties. Lubricants can add to a woman’s sexual pleasure, and that of her partner, no matter a woman’s age or health status. This was also true for a wide range of sexual activities including masturbation, toy play, vaginal sex, and anal sex.
Lubricants and Safety-
Another important finding is that lubricants were generally highly safe for women to use. Reports of vaginal
pain, burning, itching, irritation, or tearing as a result of using lubricants were very rare. For example, of all the
times that women used Just Like Me, Sweet Seduction,or Pure Pleasure, they reported vaginal itching less than 2% of the time. Discomfort or pain was reported about 6 to 7% of the time – again, very low. Vaginal burning was also rare, and occurred only 3 to 4% of the time. This is great news for women who are curious about using a lubricant and who want to make sure that Pure Romance products are safe to use. The results of this study show that they are indeed safe for the vast majority of women to use without risk of irritation.
Comfort, Pleasure, and The Big “O”-
As a consultant, one of the most common benefits I hear from women is that using a lubricant can make sexual activity more comfortable. Knowing this among ourselves is one thing but many women ask whether there has ever been any research on these issues. Now, thanks to our study, there has!
Pure Romance has found that nine out of 10 (90%) women who used a Pure Romance lubricant felt that the lubricant made sex feel more comfortable. Plus, about 84% of women said that using these lubricants made sex feel more
pleasurable. Interestingly, about 60% reported an unexpected benefit – that using a lubricant made it easier
for them to have an orgasm. Overall, eight out of 10 (80%) women said that they would use Just Like Me,
Sweet Seduction, or Pure Pleasure again, and would recommend it to a friend.
Order Pure Romance Lubricants here