"Less worry. More fun." That's the tagline of one of the latest innovations in sex gear, Scroguard, which its maker describes as a scrotal condom that "comfortably reduces skin-to-skin contact during sex in the genital areas not covered by a condom." The product hit the Internet last week, and we get why it was made: Some STIs, including HPV and genital herpes, can be contracted through skin-to-skin contact even when a condom is used.
The catch: The device isn't FDA-approved to reduce STI transmission risk. Also, it looks like a giant diaper. See above video for an inexplicably Sims-like reenactment of all of the worry-free fun that you can have with a lover when he wears a Scroguard.
At R29 Wellness, we talk about period sex, anal sex, casual sex and more, but our favorite kind of sex is safe sex — and we are all for more ways to have it. But, even Scroguard points out that its condom "is not to be construed as a way to mitigate or prevent disease," and it's no substitute for regular STI testing and open, honest communication with your partner(s).
Despite Scroguard's lack of FDA approval, to convince you that it is indeed the best product for minimizing contact between sexual partners' nether regions, the company's website enumerates the drawbacks of Scroguard alternatives: Moisture (and presumably STIs) can still pass through boxer fabric, while avoiding sex is no fun. Of course, there's always Saran wrap, but as Scroguard points out, that's "Not very sexy." The implication being that Scroguard, on the other hand, is? Well, if you're into the smell of latex and the sight of a man wearing a giant, beige diaper — by all means, carry on. We're only a little dubious about Scroguard's chances of finding mainstream appeal.