Lilith
09-04-2002, 08:27 AM
Inventors create condom which can be fitted in three seconds
Two South Africans have invented a condom which can be unwrapped and fitted within three seconds.
The inventors say it's much quicker than the usual 30 to 40 seconds it takes to fit a condom.
The applicator, marked for distribution by next year, received a designers award from the South African Bureau of Standards.
Willem van Rensburg who patented the design told Die Burger that his wife would never forgive him if he discloses exactly how the idea was born.
He told the paper: "Struggling in the dark with the packaging has a tendency to dampen a man's ardour - likely to deal a fatal blow to the ego. Many guys then prefer to take chances - with the likelihood of signing a kind of death sentence."
Mr Van Rensburg wanted an applicator that was cheap, fast and user-friendly. And it was to be no bigger than the normal condom packaging.
He approached Roelph Mulder of XYZ Designs and after many hours of work they came up with a contraption which means a man is "ready for action" in seconds.
Stephen Kramer chief of Metropolitan Aids research unit, who covered all the costs, says the use of condoms in South Africa is alarmingly low.
He told Die Burger: "We immediately realised the applicator could be an important counter for HIV/Aids.
Mr Van Rensburg says he's set to discuss the idea and patent with big foreign manufacturers soon.
Two South Africans have invented a condom which can be unwrapped and fitted within three seconds.
The inventors say it's much quicker than the usual 30 to 40 seconds it takes to fit a condom.
The applicator, marked for distribution by next year, received a designers award from the South African Bureau of Standards.
Willem van Rensburg who patented the design told Die Burger that his wife would never forgive him if he discloses exactly how the idea was born.
He told the paper: "Struggling in the dark with the packaging has a tendency to dampen a man's ardour - likely to deal a fatal blow to the ego. Many guys then prefer to take chances - with the likelihood of signing a kind of death sentence."
Mr Van Rensburg wanted an applicator that was cheap, fast and user-friendly. And it was to be no bigger than the normal condom packaging.
He approached Roelph Mulder of XYZ Designs and after many hours of work they came up with a contraption which means a man is "ready for action" in seconds.
Stephen Kramer chief of Metropolitan Aids research unit, who covered all the costs, says the use of condoms in South Africa is alarmingly low.
He told Die Burger: "We immediately realised the applicator could be an important counter for HIV/Aids.
Mr Van Rensburg says he's set to discuss the idea and patent with big foreign manufacturers soon.