Last year, it was estimated that about 36.9 million people worldwide were living with HIV. As we all (should) know, one of the most common ways the virus is transmitted is through sexual activity. Retroviral therapy is just now making strides enough to turn the disease from universally fatal to chronic, but the fact remains that 1.2 million people died as a result of complications from AIDS.
One of the best ways to ensure you don’t get infected with HIV? Wear a condom! They remain to be one of the most effective strategies for protecting against HIV’s spread. And Mahua Choudhury, a Texas A&M professor, has proposed a condom design that offers a level of protection beyond simply the barrier method.
Most male condoms are made out of latex. Choudhury rendered the typical condom slang term “rubber” obsolete by instead making it out of a hydrogel, a strong, elastic polymer. Hydrogels are already used for a slew of medical applications, including contact lenses and tactile sensors. Since some people are allergic to latex, making this out of the mostly water-based gel is already an improvement.
But I wouldn’t be rattling on about this if the only difference were the change in condom material. This condom will also be imbued with quercetin, a plant-based antioxidant that has been demonstrated to have anti-HIV properties. That’s right—the condom will not only be blocking the virus, but also actively repelling it.
This will be quite helpful should the condom break, its barrier properties ruined. The antioxidant will still be released even if the condom has been breached. So while an emergency trip to the local pharmacy might still be in order, lovers can rest easy when these mishaps occur knowing, at least, that they’re protected from HIV.
Unfortunately, a change in condom design—even of this magnitude—is nothing to get out of bed over if people aren’t going to wear them. The antioxidant has this covered, as well. It can also enhance sexual experience and pleasurable feelings, by promoting the type of physiological stimulations that help to maintain erection and increase pleasure (quercetin has been shown to increase blood flow.) Of course, like all condoms, it will also help prevent other STDs and unplanned pregnancy.
Choudhury was one of the 54 applicants out of 1,700 to be awarded the Grand Challenge in Global Health by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Their interest in this round of the challenge is a low-cost, latex-free condom.
The hydrogel material infused with the antioxidant is all ready to go, and Choudhury and her team are now awaiting approval on a patent application. They’re currently trying to figure out how fast the embedded antioxidant is able to release, something that will be researched in the testing process of the next six months, according to Choudhury. She also hopes the new condom will eventually be made available to those in rural areas, where these types of resources are limited.
Choudhury’s goals are certainly lofty, as she seeks to completely eradicate the infection, if possible. That’s unfortunately a long way off considering that HIV infection isn’t limited to sexual transmission—but the new condom should hopefully be able to keep infection fears out of the bedroom.
Not to sound like a nagging sex ed teacher, but while I’m on the subject…
Remember to practice safe sex, everyone!
