A female condom that wards off STDs

14 December, 2012

New research has came up with a female condom that not only works on preventing you from unwanted pregnancy but also protects against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). The best feature of the condom is that it dissolves gradually after use.

THE RESEARCHERS at University of Washington (UW), developed a new variety of condom from tiny microfibres using a method called 'electrospinning'. Experts says that this new female condom can provide discreet protection against HIV, unwanted pregnancy and other STDs.

The condom is made up of cloth-like fibres, which are finely woven by using a technique called 'electrospinning' into extremely thin webs. The fine webs are formed by charging the fluid through air. These fibres and then designed to dissolve after use. The dissolution process requires some minutes or several days.

The team that was working on this technology was given $1 million. Kim Woodrow, a UW assistant professor of bioengineering, said, “We have the drugs to do that. It's really about delivering them in a way that makes them more potent , and allows a woman to want to use it,” reported Hindustan Times.

This new method involves controlled release of multiple compounds. The fibers are tuned in such a way that the fibers have different release properties, one fabric dissolves within some minutes to provide immediate protection, while other fabrics dissolves gradually in few days which provides protection against HIV, said Cameron Ball, the co-author.