Leave it to a trio of teenage boys to come up with an intriguing concept for condoms. But these cutting-edge condoms would not only protect against STDs, they would also alert users to their presence.
Their unique idea just won the boys top honors in the U.K.'s TeenTech Awards. Daanyaal Ali, 14, Muaz Nawaz, 13, and Chirag Shah, 14, conceptualized condoms that would change colors when they came in contact with certain sexually transmitted diseases.
"We knew that STIs were a huge problem in the U.K.," Daanyaal told The Washington Post. "We saw a gap in the market and we wanted to help people feel safer."
The condoms would integrate an ELISA test, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that has been in use for decades. The test uses enzymes that change color when they come in contact with antibodies from known STDs, such as HIV and herpes.
Intriguing as their idea is, it is far from a reality. To be effective, the color-changing condoms would first have to overcome several hurdles.
Would a color change identify STDs in the wearer or their partner? What happens if both are infected? What colors would result? There are also issues with providing a proper medium for the ELISA, which when using current technology does not work on plastics.
Among these issues are the fact that many people would simply rather not know if they have an STD, as frightening as that is. This is one of several ethical concerns surrounding the boys' concept.
But you must give the teens kudos for their ingenuity. Despite their young age, they're already thinking in terms of safety. Bravo!
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