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Students Win Prize For Color-Changing Condoms That Detect STDs
New submitter PJ6 writes: Three students attending the Isaac Newton Academy in the UK won the Healthcare Category of the Teen Tech Awards, for their idea to use antibodies to create color-changing condoms to recognize STDs. They say the material, which is still in the concept stage, will turn green for chlamydia, yellow for herpes, purple for HPV, and blue for syphilis. The BBC reports: "The boys said they still have to test the science and feasibility of their idea. They want to work with a university on the science and say they've already been contacted by a condom company which is interested in working with them on developing the concept further."
How about just a small sample bit of test material that is packaged with the condom?
As it stands you'd have to dip it in before you got the feedback. I'd prefer the feedback up front, I would think.
We should learn what we need to know about issues, before we decide what we need to feel about them.
Yeo. They need to do lots of tests. Lot and lots of tests.
They are now looking for female vilunteers to help them out.
Who cares that they won a prize? They did something useful and nerdy. Can't we just be happy about that? #slashdot
Red for stupidity.
Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
Just to be clear, they haven't invented jack shit. It's just a "concept". These three kids made a presentation of "Wouldn't it be great if..." and won a prize. It isn't science, it's creative writing.
No, for the same reason you're not also 100% protected from pregnancy.
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
Well you get to have sex. Pull out. Look at the color of the condom and say "Good thing I wore this you skank whore."
Yeah, the science hasn't even been tested yet... So, what is this, just hopeful, wishful thinking? What is the false positive rate? More importantly, what other chemicals trigger a false positive?
Remember that "date rape testing fingernail polish" that went super viral? Awesome in theory, horrible in practice. Milk causes a false positive with it. How many drinks nowadays contain some form of milk? Rumchata and White Russians both come to mind instantly. [in before "in soviet russia" joke]
We used to call them vibrators, but selfie stick is OK too, I guess.
Firstly, the condom will not only work on females it will also work on males as well. So the woman will also be able to request that the man wear the condom she has in her purse just in case she gets lucky.
Secondly, you were still going to have sex with her/him without the STD detecting condom, right? Now, if the condom changes colour, after you had sex, you can still visit your doctor or local STD clinic for treatment the next day without waiting until your next test and thus help reduce the spread of STDs.
The idea is great. Currently someone has to go to a clinic, have a test administered, then wait a couple of weeks for the results. With this condom, you can get an early indication of... issues. For me, if it changed color, that would be a good indication that I will never have unprotected sex with this person and would know to disconsider them as a long-term partner.
Really, your post gives the impression that you don't know much about how sexual relations work. Using a condom with someone who potentially has an STD does not "defeat the purpose", it is the purpose. It allows you to have sex with someone whose infection status you're unsure of, without getting the infection. If you know someone is clean, you don't need to be dealing with condoms in the first place.
I won't pretend to be some kind of playboy, but it should be apparent that most relationships start out more like 1-night-stands than arranged marriages. There's usually not a formal interview process including STD test before the first sexual encounter. Hell, there's barely time to even get a condom on. This product would be a godsend for slowing the proliferation of STDs. Regardless of your strategy for obtaining sex, that's going to benefit you.
"This material, which is still in the concept stage..."
That's ridiculous. How is this different than sitting around bullshitting with your friends about how cool it would be to have flying cars? "Wouldn't it be cool if you had a condom that changed color when an std was present?"
And hey, look at that, they've already picked the colors!
This is absurd for so many reasons.
1) as most people familiar with condoms would recognize, when a condom's in full use it's quite frequently dark and/or not exactly exposed to where you can see it.
2) I'm not really interested in using my dong as the dipstick, no matter what it's sheathed in. I'd really rather know the STD status *before* the dick goes in
3) considering the really rather astonishing materials science behind the construction of condoms, it's not like one can easily mix in additives - anything that's going to be part of the latex but isn't directly contributing to strength is going to be a weakness. And what are its ongoing effects on the latex over the long shelf-life and sometimes difficult storage conditions (ie wallet for far too long)? You going to use such a condom if the failure rate is 2x-3x that of normal condoms?
4) the "magic" substance that changes colors in the presence of an STD has YET TO BE INVENTED.
Christ.
-Styopa
"1) as most people familiar with condoms would recognize, when a condom's in full use it's quite frequently dark and/or not exactly exposed to where you can see it."
BOOM - my invention is to make the colors glow in the dark. Hold on while I call my patent lawyer...
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Is the colour meant to display for the condition of the wearer (which could be a display in advance of coitus) or for the condition of the partner (which is a display after coitus)?
Folks seem to be focusing on the partner's condition here. I think this idea would be far more valuable to the partner. Here put this on and we'll - hang on - blue plus yellow means clamidia and the clap - sorry fella - no joy for you. Warning of impending risk is far better than - hey wow, she's was really loaded up with bugs.
A raincoat will keep you dry in the rain, checking the weather may keep you from going out in the rain in the first place.
If only we could fall into a woman's arms without falling into her hands