Scientists from the University of Wollongong, Australia are designing a unique condom they claim could feel even better than nothing at all.
The contraceptive is made with hydrogel, a strong and flexible solid which can be made to feel and act like human tissue.The Australian scientists behind the design, led by materials scientist Robert Gorkin, won a grant for a next generation condom in 2013, giving them access to US$100,000 to use on research.
'Our original idea was just to try to prove that an original material could replace latex,' Mr Gorkin said
'We were starting from scratch, we had an idea that these new materials would have the same properties as rubber with a nicer feel, but we weren't sure if they had the right properties for a condom.'
'The early indications are that the materials are strong enough and actually do prevent against the transfer of small biological molecules,' he said
