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SELF-LUBRICATING LATEX condoms that become slippery on contact have been developed by scientists using a special, durable coating.
The research backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation aims at making condoms more appealing to use, reducing the risk of developing sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy in the process.
The self-lubricating condom is less likely to break or cause discomfort than regular condoms, as it becomes slippery once it comes into contact with body fluid, researchers said.
This condom could withstand 1,000 thrusts without losing this slipperiness, although intercourse typically lasts around half that time or less – between 100 to 500 thrusts – they said.
When tested against regular shop-bought condoms with water-based lubricant, it was found that while these were more slippery at first, they became far less so after around 600 thrusts.
A group of 33 men and women were asked to touch and rate both condoms, and recommended the self-lubricating condom above others.
“A majority of participants – 73% – expressed a preference for a condom containing the lubricious coating, agreeing that an inherently slippery condom that remains slippery for a long duration would increase their condom usage,” the study concluded.
“Such a coating shows potential to be an effective strategy for decreasing friction-associated pain” — for women and men — “and increasing user satisfaction.”
Boston University’s professor Mark Grinstaff said: “It feels a bit slimy when you handle it dry, but in the presence of water or natural fluids it becomes really slick. You only need a little bit of fluid to activate it.”
The condom has yet to actually be tested in intercourse, but more than 90% of the volunteers said they would consider using the coated condoms, and more than half said they would likely use condoms more frequently if the perpetually slippery ones were commercially available.
Clinical trials will evaluate how the condom works in real-life settings next year, Grinstaff said, as more research is needed to see how it compares to condoms in these situations.
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I made this point the other day when we were talking about Irish Rail, how much longer are we going to have to subsidise these costly and inefficient state transport providers?
Has anyone travelled by Bus Eireann on a lengthy journey recently?
Its absolute torture.
I don’t use BE any more, 3 hours to Wexford town from Dublin is an absolute joke! Expensive, dirty, slow and the rudest drivers iv ever had the ‘pleasure’ of encountering!
Martian you should travel with Wexford bus company , free wifi on all their 4 star air-conditioned buses, and polite drivers bar 1 dude
I do now Peter. Cheaper and gets me there faster!
Time to deregulate and privatise transport.
Add health care and education to that list and we can form a coalition
You want to privatise the provision of education? Seriously?
Well yeah or decentralise it heavily letting parents and teachers desire the curriculum and exams.. No taxes on any incomes, simply a consumption tax
Peter, we’re majorly off topic but there are some massive flaws in your idea, IMO
For a start the whole of society is the ultimate consumer of education and also you need an over all consistency in levels and content to make allow employers to judge between the outputs.
If the journal want to bring up the topic of general privatisation re Merkel’s “suggestions” we could probably discuss further.
Well I’m a libertarian at heart, and yeah I’d like that !
Agreed, but those from ballygobackwards will certainly find themselves without public transport. Thats the difference between public owned and private, needs of people vs profit margins. I don’t think we can justify owning and running loss making transport companies, when the country is going down the pan.
Well school transport alone is subsidized for 180 million a year and no austerity imposed on bus eireann at all and they a upping prices as well as cutting routes and prices…..law onto themselves.
Change regulation for bigger advertising
As far as I can see the busman gets €500-600 a week. Most of the company losses are on the advertising side of the business. There should be more live timetable terminals to increase consumer satisfaction. Maybe introduce advertising under the live times!
have your say