A “smart” condom capable of changing color and becoming yellow for herpes, purple for the papillomavirus or even blue for syphilis: this is what British schoolchildren have just developed. The three boys, aged 13 and 14, wanted “to invent something that can easily detect STIs, so that people can test themselves in peace at home, without having to go to the doctor.”
The latex of their condoms (called STEYE) contains molecules which activate on contact with bacteria and give them a fluorescent hue. For this discovery, the college students won the first prize for the best health innovation in TeenTech Awards, a competition held annually in Great Britain that rewards 11-18 year olds with innovative ideas that “make life better, simpler, safer or just funnier”.
They are now hoping that their prototype will appeal to manufacturers.
Condoms that change color, this could perhaps make their use more “fun” for the students. Indeed, 1 in 3 declares that they do not never wear a condom, minimizing the dangers of HIV and the risk of infection during sex.
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