Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has started its Grand Challenges Exploration Initiative which received above 1,700 applications, however, only 52 have been awarded grants. Hence, it is safe to assume that these 52 ideas are worth the money that is being spent on them. Speaking of projects; there is one particular project which is peculiar and pretty interesting to say the least.
Usually guys shy away from using condoms and while their arguments usually involve more pleasurable sex without the condom, the truth is that not using a condom will result in unwanted pregnancy and shall facilitate diseases that can be transmitted sexually (such as AIDS). Keeping this fact in mind, a team of researchers from the University of Wollongong in Australia is working on a condom, which will preserve the pleasure that men get without using one.
The team has been awarded $100,000 research grant from the foundation that we mentioned in the introduction. Up till now, condoms have been made using latex rubber, but the condom that this particular team is working on won’t be using the conventional material, instead, it has plans to employ another material; hydrogel. The material, as claimed by the team, feels and behaves like human skin while being safe from tearing and still being quite tough. All are crucial qualities if you don’t want to risk a condom leak.
The idea, as you might have gathered already, is to make the guys want to use this condom during intercourse. If the team is successful in this endeavour, we shall be seeing a fair amount of reduction in unwanted pregnancies and spreading of STDs. The hydrogel is under development and we don’t have any information on when the consumer ready product will be available. However, we sincerely hope that the team succeeds in doing what they hope to do. Fingers crossed!
