Indian and British scientists on Wednesday received grant of $100,000 each, to use graphene and create the world's next generation condoms that would be thinner, stronger, more elastic and extra pleasurable.
Graphene was first isolated at the University of Manchester in 2004 by Russian scientists Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov - a feat that earned them the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010. Ever since, over 7,500 graphene based patents worldwide have been files for its use in creating smartphones to computer chips.
On Wednesday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will fund University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute and India's HLL Lifecare Limited to create the next generaion condom.
Aravind Vijayaraghavan and a team from the University of Manchester proposes to develop new elastic composite materials for condoms containing nano materials like graphene. This composite material will be tailored to enhance the natural sensation during intercourse while using a condom, which is expected to encourage condom use.
Lakshminarayanan Ragupathy from HLL Lifecare Ltd on the other hand will work to improve the safety and enhance the sensitivity of male condoms by incorporating graphene or its derivatives into condom-making materials.
Graphene is a single-layer, crystalline form of carbon that is highly elastic and very strong. It also conducts heat. They will mix graphene with currently used condom materials to produce thinner, heat conducting condoms and incorporate drugs and compounds to further enhance safety as well as sexual experience.
Another interesting project funded on Wednesday was to Benjamin Strutt and a team from Cambridge Design Partnership in the UK who are designing a male condom made from a composite anisotropic material that will provide universal fit and is designed to gently tighten during intercourse, enhancing sensation and reliability.
Mark McGlothlin of Apex Medical Technologies in the US received another $100,000 grant to produce a male condom with enhanced strength and sensitivity using collagen fibrils from cow tendons, which are widely available from meat processing. This would provide a hydrated micro-rough skin-like surface texture that facilitates heat transfer to produce a more natural sensation. They will develop methods to best arrange the fibrils and more safely crosslink them.
The Foundation says male condoms are cheap, easy to manufacture, easy to distribute and available globally. The current rate of global production is 15 billion units/year with an estimated 750 million users and a steadily growing market. When used properly, they reliably protect females from pregnancy and both partners from numerous sexually transmitted infections, including HIV transmission.
A major obstacle to more consistent and universal use of male condoms is the perceived trade-off of decreased pleasure and loss of erection caused by condoms weighed against the protection against unwanted pregnancy and STIs. Many men find this trade-off unacceptable, particularly given that the decisions about condom use must be made just prior to intercourse.
"We are looking for a next generation condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use." The Foundation said.
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