These New Color Changing Condoms Could Change Sex as You Know It
When we think of the future we think of a lot of things, hoverboards, an outfit choosing mirror, a self-driving car so we never have to make small talk with an UberPool passenger ever again. But the future is already here ladies, in the form of color changing condoms.
And these aren’t just proposed novelty items for men to wear and be like “Babe, look I’m a smurf! Hahaaha!” they actually have a scientific purpose behind them that could amp up your sexual health.
Three teenage boys in the UK just won a science competition by inventing the STEye, a line of condoms that change color if they detect an STI (sexually transmitted infection). The BBC reports that these condoms are “covered with antibodies that would react with bacteria or antigens found in STIs.” The article goes on to say that each infection will turn the condom a different color, basically turning a penis into a crazy-but-health-minded mood ring.
The innovation is impressive (especially since most teenage boys just stow condoms in their wallets FOREVER) even if it does raise a few ethical questions. The teens say that this prophylactic-of-the-future will “prevent people from getting embarrassed in clinics” but really, there shouldn’t be a stigma in going to said clinic. Color changing condoms or not, everyone should get tested by a real doctor and not just be surprised when their mood ring condom turns green. Also, if people pop a condom on and find out they’re STI free will they just have sex without one? Let’s hope not — while the condom detects a lot of STIs it can’t detect HIV and, of course, there’s the possibility of a false positive.
While you may not be able to purchase this condom in the near future it’s still exciting that innovations like these are being made in terms of sexual health and sexual education among teens.
What innovations in sexual health would you like to see? Tell us in the comments!
(h/t BBC, Image via China Photos/Getty, HeyPaul Studios/Flickr)
