For many people, the classic latex condom is the best possible product in its category. For this reason, no one in the last few decades has made a serious attempt to improve the old, tried and tested product. So far. A small American company called Origami Condoms is preparing to reinvent the condom in the spirit of traditional Japanese art. How? The answer lies in the accordion-like design of the condom of the future. According to the company’s founder, Danny Resnik, the latex condom only offers protection. The condom of the future needs to offer much more than that, it needs to offer a natural feel so that men have a real incentive to use it. The new condom is folded into the package like an accordion, instead of being rolled up like all current products. When in place, it behaves like a flexible cover instead of staying fixed like current products. According to Danny Resnick, this provides a much better sensation for both partners. A key element in the innovative design is the abandonment of latex – an insufficiently reliable material that can tear. Instead, the manufacturer uses a super-elastic silicone that can be folded without any risk of tearing. Resnick knows very well from his own experience how unreliable latex is – in 1993 he contracted HIV after breaking a condom. A personal tragedy prompted him to apply his design knowledge and education to improve condoms. The new condom brings not only more pleasure and security, it is inserted faster and easier than its traditional counterparts. In test groups, the condom was inserted correctly in an average of three seconds – much faster than the current ones, which can’t even be unrolled in three seconds. Last month, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation named the company a leading innovator in sexual health. The foundation’s blog reads, “Origami Condoms is an excellent example of a private company focused on developing a new generation of condoms that promote use by improving the sexual experience.” The foundation is also offering a $100,000 prize to create a new condom as part of a global campaign to promote health initiatives. NEWS_MORE_BOX Interested ladies and gentlemen, however, will have to wait before they can try out the new condoms. They are currently undergoing clinical trials and will be on the market no earlier than 2015. Condoms must undergo rigorous, multiphase studies before the FDA approves their use. The company is also working on the female condom, which has failed to gain much traction since its introduction 20 years ago. A condom specifically designed for anal sex is also undergoing clinical trials. The manufacturer has already managed to raise over three million dollars for research and development. Unlike regular condoms, which are very economical in terms of space occupied,new condoms will have to be packaged in golf ball sized boxes. They will also be more expensive. According to Resnick, however, this will not limit their use. In a study conducted by the manufacturer, participants agreed to pay a price of more than $7 for a condom, an amount likely to be slightly above the actual market value of a single condom. According to the founder of the company, the improved protection and above all the greater enjoyment that the product offers will justify every cent spent on it. According to him, it’s such a big improvement over existing technology that designers at the company initially didn’t want to call their creation a condom. They only agree to this so as not to confuse consumers and jeopardize sales of the product.