Men buy condoms to put on before they get an erection – and they are said to make sex more fun.
Companies are offering packs of three ‘pre-erection’ contraceptives for just £5.
Men can put on the condoms up to two hours before sex, to ‘avoid distractions’ and ‘help forget last-minute worries’.
A Colombia-based company that makes them even brags that they “make sex so much easier (and more fun) because you don’t have to interrupt your intimacy with the mundane task of putting it on — because you’re already wearing it.”
The condom is placed over a flaccid penis that is stretched, covering it like a sock. A ring at the bottom ensures it stays in place before a man stands up. Once excited, the condom expands with the penis, up to a maximum length of 18 cm (seven inches), similar to the traditional condoms sold by the likes of Durex
A Colombia-based company that carries them even brags that they “make sex so much easier (and more fun) because you don’t have to interrupt your intimacy with the mundane task of putting it on – because you’re already wearing it”
The condom is placed over a flaccid penis that is stretched, covering it like a sock.
A ring at the bottom ensures it stays in place before a man stands up.
Once excited, the condom expands with the penis, up to a maximum length of 18 cm (seven inches), similar to the traditional condoms sold by the likes of Durex.
They can be made from a material ten times thinner than latex, which manufacturers claim can withstand pressure, stretching and rubbing. They also say it’s “more comfortable” and “feels like a second skin when the material is warm.”
This, in theory, makes it easier to transfer body heat and become aroused, according to the Kamyra condoms, which they sell.
However, research has previously shown that thickened condoms can “physically maintain and prolong” an erection.
But men who have bought condoms from Kamyra say they now “can’t imagine sex without them.”
Meanwhile, an online review of UNIQ’s smart condom said: ‘I’d say sex with this condom was even better than without.’
However, one man compared the ‘wafer-thin’ material to cling film. Another wrote on a Dutch website that it “took time to learn how to put it on comfortably.”
Others also complained that it was ‘hard to put on’ and even ‘fell off’ or tore.
Jumbo packs of 72 are available on Amazon for around £86.
For comparison, a branded box of a dozen condoms costs around £10 in the UK, meaning they are similarly priced.
The companies do not make any statements about the effectiveness of the contraceptive or why a two-hour limit is imposed.
Regular condoms, the NHS says, are 98 percent perfect for use.
In addition to convenience, the companies claim they can overcome condom-related erectile dysfunction.
Dozens of men complain that this is a major reason why they don’t want to wear them, despite the fact that they are proven to protect against STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.
A study from Colombian University found that the product “did not disrupt the male arousal response.”
The trial, published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychologyfollowed 82 men aged 18 to 30.
Companies are offering packs of three ‘pre-erection’ contraceptives for just £5. Pictured is a Dutch website selling three for €6.50
They can be made from a material ten times thinner than latex, which manufacturers claim can withstand pressure, stretching and rubbing. They also say it’s “more comfortable” and “feels like a second skin when the material is warm.” An online review of UNIQ’s smart condom said: ‘I would say sex with this condom was even better than without it’
Half used the pre-erection condom, while the others did not use any contraceptive.
All were asked not to have sex, drink alcohol, use psychoactive substances or view sexually explicit photos and videos for 24 hours prior to the study.
During the session, each participant in the first group was asked to put on the condom before watching a series of videos – three ‘neutral’ and three ‘erotic’ – each lasting around three minutes.
Volunteers in the control group followed the same process.
At the start and end, participants were asked about their erectile dysfunction and given a score of 25 – in line with the International Index of Erectile Function – with low numbers indicating the most severe cases.
Researchers found “no statistical differences” in sexual arousal between the two groups, suggesting the contraceptive was not responsible for any erection problems.
They also claimed that the men reported no side effects, but acknowledged the limitations of the small size of the study.