MELBOURNE — How is that, in our highly tech-centric society, we have such “smart” phones, capable of tracking and organizing our lives, and such dumb condoms, capable of irritating even the most saftey-loving couple?
Well, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving enhanced pleasure a jumpstart with a $100,000 donation to the University of Wollongong in Australia to develop a “next generation condom” that allows for greater sensation.
Researchers there hope to replace latex altogether with a new material called a tough hydrogel, which is actually an amalgamation of materials that are alleged to be “more skin like, so they can be made to act, feel and look more like real skin,” said Dr. Robert Gorkin, a biomedical researcher involved with the project.
The team at U of W team encompasses people from diverse fields to achieve two main goals: material and biological validation (i.e., that it works AND feels good).
“I’m very excited about this opportunity to apply some of the research we’ve been doing here at U of W for a new purpose that could truly improve the lives of many,” Gorkin said, suggesting that a better-feeling condom may lead to increased use and decreased unwanted pregnancies and STDs.
According to the HuffingtonPost, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation named 11 condom research grant recipients in November.
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