09 May,2011 11:31 AM IST | | AFP
Men who have trouble maintaining erections when wearing a condom may get a boost from a new product dubbed the "Viagra condom."
British biotech company Futura Medical has created a new condom, currently known as CSD500, that is coated on the inside with a vasodilator gel that increases blood flow and results in a stronger, longer-lasting erection.
The product is nearing final regulatory approval, and condom company Durex announced late last month its aim to unroll the condoms in Europe by the end of the year. Plans have yet to be announced on whether the manufacturers will apply for FDA approval to market the condoms in the US.
Research has shown that men who struggle with maintaining erections while wearing condoms are less likely to use them and more likely to risk unprotected sex. Adam Glickman, founder of the online store Condomania.com, said in an interview with Portfolio magazine that the new condom might encourage these men to start changing their ways and practicing safe sex.
In clinical trials, subjects reported stronger erections and increased penis size -- although the manufacturers say the aim of the product is not recreational, but to give men with condom-related erectile dysfunction a better option.
Another problem some men and women face with condom use is latex allergy, but now consumers may get some relief from a new type of latex condom that retains all of the advantages of traditional latex and (almost) none of the allergens.
The Envy condom, made from a new patented low-protein variant of natural rubber latex (NRL), is sold on the company's website and via online retailers such as Condomania.com (international shipping available). A box of 12 condoms sells for $12.99 (about 9.50).
