Competition for the creation of a "new generation condom"
Your product No. 2 has performed an invalid operation and will be closed
The goal of the 11th stage of the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative, conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is to improve the quality of life of the poorest segments of the world's population. A "new generation condom" has been chosen as a tool to achieve this goal, which should effectively protect against infection with sexually transmitted diseases and at the same time be an incentive for men and women to use it.
To begin with, the winner of the competition will receive 100,000 US dollars, and in case of successful implementation of the idea, the fund will invest up to 1 million US dollars in the production of a new "product No. 2".
Male condoms are characterized by low cost, ease of manufacture and distribution, as well as widespread availability, including in resource-poor regions, where they are delivered through well-established channels. Every year, 15 billion condoms are produced in the world. According to statistics, the number of users of this most popular product reaches 750 million and is constantly increasing. Proper use of a condom protects women from unwanted pregnancies and both partners from contracting numerous sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Their use does not require any intervention of medical personnel and does not cause undesirable side effects, which cannot be said about any other contraceptive or means for the prevention of infection with sexually transmitted diseases.
All this makes male condoms an ideal multitasking preventive product, especially in conditions characterized by a shortage of resources.
The only obstacle to the widespread use of a condom is a lack of desire, which men explain by the fact that a condom reduces the pleasure of sexual intercourse. Is it really possible to create a product that is devoid of this disadvantage or even increases the pleasure experienced? If possible, will such a product make a significant contribution to improving public health on a global scale, both in terms of reducing the frequency of unplanned pregnancies and in terms of preventing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases?
The use of currently existing female condoms can also be an effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancy or infection. However, their use requires serious instruction, and the cost is much higher than the cost of male condoms. While it is much easier to persuade women to constantly use condoms, the very need for such beliefs clearly demonstrates the barrier standing in the way of wider use of contraceptives, the destruction of which is the goal of the initiative.
TaskThe condom was invented about 400 years ago, but since then has undergone only minor technical improvements.
The key points that improved the quality of the product were the use of rubber as the main material, not fabric or intestines, and then latex, and the use of quality control measures that ensure individual testing of each condom.
During the last decade, materials science and biology have undergone revolutionary changes, but new knowledge has not been used at all in improving this product, which is at the same time one of the most widely used all over the world and, perhaps, insufficiently implemented.
As part of the initiative, new manufacturing concepts from new materials can be quickly implemented and tested. There is no need to conduct large-scale clinical trials, and production facilities, distribution systems and distribution channels already exist and are actively functioning.
The competition has been announced for a "new generation condom" capable of preserving or enhancing pleasure, which should encourage men and women to use it constantly. Additional concepts that increase the ease of use of male and female condoms include, for example, improved packaging or design that fits the correct application. In addition, attributes that allow overcoming cultural barriers are welcome.
To receive funding, proposals must:
- contain a testable hypothesis,
- include an agreed plan for testing or validating the idea and
- bring interpretable unambiguous results at the review stage.
Examples of ideas that will be considered suitable for financing:the use of new safe materials that can preserve or improve sensations;
- development and testing of new forms/designs of condoms that enhance the quality of the user experience;
- the application of knowledge from other fields (for example, neurobiology, vascular biology) in the development of strategies to stimulate the urge to use condoms.
Will not be accepted for consideration:
- exclusively non-technological, social or educational interventions;
- testing of existing commercially available products;
- proposals that do not have a clearly formulated hypothesis or a plan for testing the value of the proposed product in relation to these aspects;
- concepts that are too expensive by default to be used in developing countries;
- concepts implying sacrificing the value of a condom in favor of preventing unplanned pregnancy or HIV infection.
Got an idea? Submit an application!
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Grand Challenges:
Develop the Next Generation of Condom.
27.03.2013