Distinguishing Sexual Lubricants From Personal Hygiene Products For Sexual Assault Cases

A common issue in sexual assaults is the ability to differentiation sexual lubricants from personal hygiene products (PHPs) such as lotions. While many PHPs tend to have a similar foundations to lubricants, such as polyethylene glycol, it can be difficult to differentiate sexual lubricants from background compounds such as lotions, gels, shampoos, etc. In this study, thirty-six (36) samples consisting of personal lubricants, condom lubricants and PHPs were analyzed using DART-TOFMS to determine if a method could be developed to discriminate sexual lubricants from PHPs. Using this direct introduction mass spectrometry technique, each sample displayed a chemical profile that included both commonly observed major compounds as well as more discriminating minor components. Using statistical treatments such as hierarchal cluster analysis, principle component analysis, and linear discriminant analysis, sexual lubricants and PHPs were differentiated based on significant peaks observed and their relative abundances. A method in identifying the difference between common PHP, i.e. creams and lotions, and sexual lubricants was established