Now that we can spray on sunscreen and even bandages, what's next in the world of sprayables? For Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute student Michele Chu, Girlplay sprayable condoms are the next frontier. According to a blog post on Packaging of the World, the spray can be used to form both male and female condoms "for the perfect fit." Chu's company, Girlplay, is even creating a whole "lover's kit" that includes not only the condom in a spray can, but also a remote control that can "display special effects (i.e. vibration, glow in the dark) and change from one flavor to another." The remote control can even unhook a bra included in the kit, Chu told Bustle. What a time to be alive, am I right?
Chu, who aims to help "promote sexual health and well-being for females" in a "male-centric industry" through Girlplay, also pointed out that, unlike most products, condoms have remained relatively stagnant through the years. She wrote Bustle:
Ever since I was small, there hasn't been much change or breakthrough in the condom market, even in the physical appearance itself. The wrapper, the way it is put on, nothing has changed. It needed something new and fresh.
And that's what Girlplay's invention intends to be: Something new and fresh to shake things up. Believe it or not, though, this isn't the first attempt at a spray-on condom. German entrepreneur Jan Vinzenz Krause created a spray-on condom in 2006, but it hasn't gone to market, primarily because the latex took too long to dry. Additionally, the Chinese company Blue Cross Bio-Medical sells a female spray-on foam condom. Delivering safe sex in this medium is said to provide a better fit than latex.
Girlplay's spray-on condom also isn't the first invention marching simultaneously into the future and toward the goal of safe sex. Here are a few more products that look like they're from sci-fi movies. The future is now, people.
1. MicroCHIPS's Contraceptive Microchip
This birth control microchip (not pictured) contains a 16-year supply of the hormone levonorgestrel, can be implanted under the user's skin, and can turn on and off with a remote control in case the user wants to get pregnant or go off the medication for any other reason. MicroCHIPs plans to submit the device for testing next year, which means it could hit pharmacy shelves as early as 2018.
2. The "Electric Eel" Digital Condom Prototype
The Electric Eel is basically a vibrating condom created by Georgia Tech students Firaz Peer and Andrew Quitmeyer in response to the Gates Foundation's "next generation" condom challenge. The motivation behind the project was to leave no excuse for those who complain sex doesn't feel as good with condoms. It didn't win the competition, but it raised nearly $1,750 on IndieGogo.
3. Pronto's Applicator Condoms
One idea that did win a Gates Foundation grant — and actually existed in part before the competition — was Willem van Rensburg's Project Rapidom, an improvement upon his Pronto applicator condoms, which contain handles for easy application. Gates Foundation senior program officer Dr. Papa Salif Sow told The New York Times that "in sub-Saharan Africa, sex is basically done with low light and it might be very difficult to see the direction of the condom" — a problem van Rensburg's invention may rectify.
4. L. Condoms
Caught in a pinch and out of condoms in the heat of the moment? There's an app for that. L. Condoms delivers safe sex supplies within an hour of each request (which may be a frustrating hour, but there are always creative ways to work around that), and its bike messengers don't even know what they're delivering, so those who suffer from embarrassment will never need to worry.
Images: Tomizak, fdecomite/Flickr; L. Condoms
