Scientists have developed a new type of condom which has the potential to prevent the spread of HIV.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have been developing a new "wonder material", said to have "limitless potential"; and that's not just what she says when he's wearing it! Graphene is being used to develop condoms that are thinner, safer, and more enjoyable to use.
The idea was that the new material could not only prevent the spread of AIDS but also heighten pleasure, as they were granted $100,000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday for the project.
The material, is almost a million times thinner than a human hair and harder than diamond. As part of a nano-technology study, it was first isolated by Russian scientists Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov at the university in 2004.
Research of this kind has become big business since then. It is surprising the number of everyday things which now contain the material in one form or another, including everything from computer chips to smartphones. Now the experiments are being taken one step further with this new venture.
A new team has been established called the National Graphine Institute has been set up at Manchester University with the intention of creating a graphine/latex composite material, effectively merging your traditional condom with this hybrid material to create a super condom! Ain't no swimmers getting through that!
Dr Vijayaraghavan is the leader of the new team. "This composite material will be tailored to enhance the natural sensation during intercourse while using a condom, which should encourage and promote condom use," he said.
“This will be achieved by combining the strength of graphene with the elasticity of latex to produce a new material which can be thinner, stronger, more stretchy, safer and, perhaps most importantly, more pleasurable." And that can only be a good thing, right?
He continued with, ”Since its isolation in 2004, people have wondered when graphene will be used in our daily life. Currently, people imagine using graphene in mobile-phone screens, food packaging and chemical sensors…If this project is successful, we might have a use for graphene which will literally touch our everyday life in the most intimate way.”Who needs Viagra when you have a diamond strong hard on?
Words by Gemma
Clark
