PFAS Found in Condoms and Lubricants

April 8, 2025
According to a study by the consumer safety advocacy group Mamavation, popular brands of condoms and lubricants contain PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or so-called “forever chemicals,” Tom Perkins reported for the Guardian in July 2024.

PFAS are known informally as “forever chemicals” because they take a long time to break down, allowing them to accumulate in humans, other animals, and environments. The chemicals are linked to a host of human health issues, including cancer, liver problems, and birth defects. PFAS are also associated with low birth weight, reduced sperm counts, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, infertility, and shorter duration of breastfeeding, the Guardian reported. As Perkins had previously reported, recent research has determined that human skin absorbs PFAS chemicals at significantly higher levels than previously documented.

Mamavation commissioned an Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab to test condoms and lubricants produced by nineteen popular brands, including Trojan condoms and KY-Jelly. The study found that 14 percent of condoms and lubricants tested “had indications of PFAS ‘forever chemicals.’” Twelve percent of the condoms and 25 percent of the lubricants tested positive for fluorine, a marker of PFAS, with ranges of organic fluorine from 13 to 68 parts per million (ppm). Based on its findings, Mamavation recommended that consumers avoid using a number of popular condom and lubricant brands.
Although there is currently no specific evidence linking health issues to condoms and lube containing PFAS, human sex organs are particularly vulnerable to potential chemical contamination, researchers told the Guardian. Genitals have high levels of blood vessels, so genitalia exposed to harmful chemicals are likely to lead to the circulation of those chemicals throughout the body. “Because condoms are an exposure to the most sensitive areas on the human body for both men and women, I would strongly recommend the industry identify and remove these chemicals immediately,” one of the authors of the Mamavation study wrote.
In September 2024, Reuters reported that a consumer, Matthew Goodman, had brought a class action lawsuit against the maker of Trojan Condoms, Church & Dwight, in a New York court on the grounds that the Trojans he bought were unsafe because they contain PFAS. Goodman’s suit is seeking at least $5 million in damages for Trojan users nationwide.
Unfortunately, this story has received scant coverage from corporate news media. Aside from Perkins’s article in the Guardian, Mamavation’s research was mentioned in passing in stories by Reuters and Newsweek about the Trojan class action lawsuit.
 
Source: Tom Perkins, “Some Condoms and Lubricant Brands Contain Alarming Levels of PFAS,” The Guardian, July 28, 2024.
Student Researcher: Emily Pintar (North Central College)
Faculty Evaluator: Steve Macek (North Central College)