LONDON, May 16 DPA - British researchers have come up with a chemical-impregnated condom that boosts the male erection and thus prevents the sheath from slipping off during sexual intercourse.
The condom safety device'' was designed by scientists at Futura Medical in Guildford in Surrey and is expected to be on the market within 18 months. Futura chief executive James Barder said around two per cent of condoms slip off during intercourse, resulting in unwanted pregnancies and increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. One of the major reasons for the problem is that at times men don’t maintain a full erection during intercourse,’’ he said.
The new product, named CSD500, aims to prevent this. It is impregnated with a chemical in its teat, called glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which is absorbed through the skin into the muscle tissue and causes the blood vessels in the penis to dilate.
Viagra works in a similar way, but Barder said that, unlike Viagra, the condom was meant for men who do not suffer from impotence problems.
Even sexually healthy men could find themselves unable to maintain an erection while wearing a condom because of the loss of sensation, he said.
Around 13 billion condoms are sold worldwide each year.