What if you were using a condom, and one minute it was dry and then the next it was slick with lube? That could soon be a reality, thanks to the self-lubricating condoms a team of researchers at Boston University (BU) has recently developed. The self-lubricating condoms get slippery when they get wet (i.e. when they come in contact with something like vaginal fluid or spit). Hopefully, condoms like this will make the future of sex not only safer, but also more fun.
Unfortunately, these fancy new condoms aren't on the market yet, and probably won't be for a while. The team at BU is still testing their self-lubricating condoms, and will start clinical trials soon. As of now, the BU team has examined how well the condoms stand up to friction and has surveyed 33 people about how likely they'd be to actually use one. About 73% of the people they talked to said that they not only preferred the feel of BU's condoms over the condoms they're currently using, but also that they'd likely use these condoms more often, according to a study from the researchers.
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Of course, it's important to keep in mind that 33 people is a very small sample size, but given that sex experts regularly suggest people use lube, we're pretty sure they'd be cool with the idea of a self-lubricating condom. After all, anything that makes sex safer and more fun is a good thing and the condoms of today are 100% perfect.
When used perfectly, condoms are about 98% effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies and STIs. But no one is perfect, and mistakes happen. So, really, condoms are about 85% effective, according to Planned Parenthood. Those odds are still pretty good, but they increase with every step you take to reduce the possibility of rips or tears. So don't open the condom with your teeth, check the expiration date, and use lube.
We're not in the future yet, so you can't rely on your condom to provide lubrication for you (even pre-lubricated condoms could use some help). Lube helps get rid of some of the friction that happens when a penis enters a vagina or an anus, and friction is bad because it can lead to rips. That's one of the reasons why sex educators always suggest adding more lube. Also, slippery sex just tends to feel better. But it can be easy to skip that step, especially if you're not familiar with lube, or you haven't found a brand you like, or you're having spontaneous sex and don't want to pop into the drugstore. So, until, we get these fancy new condoms in our hands, try to remember to keep some lube on hand.
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