Is it safe to use any lubricant with a polyurethane condom? The Trojan packaging says not to use anything, but I really need something else to feel comfortable using them.
Short Answer
You need to be careful which type of lubricant you pick because most lubricants are incompatible with polyurethane condoms. Fortunately, there are a two lubricants that have been cleared in FDA testing for use with polyurethane condoms. AWT offers FeMani Smooth and ONE Move, both of which have passed FDA testing for compatibility with polyurethane condoms. To be clear, both are compatible with any type of internal or external condom made from latex, polyisoprene or polyurethane.
Long Answer
There are many different types of silicone lubricants on the market, and most of them should not be used with polyurethane condoms because the polyurethane material will break with exposure and friction. Medical grade silicones, such as pure dimethicone, have been tested and can be used with polyurethane products.
Here’s the problem: because of name issues, many silicone products sound, and are spelled like another. Silicone, siloconol or siloxane, anyone? Unfortunately, some silicones are blends of other silicones which makes identification worse because the components may be a problem, but the name obscures the presence in the product.
This is bad, because some industrial-solvent type silicones (cyclopentasiloxane) break polyurethane condoms, while other medical-grade silicones do not (such as dimethicone). Still, many, many silicone lubricants intended for sexual use are on the market, and their first, second or third ingredient is cyclopentasiloxane. Why? Industrial grade silicones are far less expensive than medical grade silicones, so manufacturers are putting these into products to lower cost. In fact, when you look at silicone lubricant prices, you might unknowingly choose one with an industrial-grade silicones from otherwise reputable websites with the name “condom” in their name.
Polyurethane condoms are a necessity for 1-10% of the population with true latex allergy. If that is you, your partner, or a partner that you don’t know well, someone can have a very bad reaction from: a condom that breaks giving you a sexually transmitted infection, or a latex allergy. We agree that polyurethane condoms go on better and feel better when used with lubricant, since the medical-grade silicone lubricant that they come packaged with isn’t enough volume for many people.