Gates Foundation Offers $100,000 For a ‘Next-Gen Condom’
Shelly Palmer
We’re not quite sure what a next-generation condom would look like (gesture control? a tiny touch screen?), but we may find out sooner rather than later if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation succeeds in its new quest. The foundation is seeking new ideas that improve on condom design, which it describes as having seen “very little technological improvement in the last 50 years.” The winning proposal gets a cool $100,000, and could potentially earn more in additional funding. The foundation suggests that if a redesigned condom could enhance a sexual experience and not detract from it, more men would use one, therefore reducing disease transmission, unwanted pregnancies, and so on. The request also seeks ideas “that increase ease-of-use for male and female condoms, for example better packaging or designs that are easier to properly apply.”
