S.Africa condom device wins 'most beautiful' award
Source: Reuters
CAPE TOWN, Feb 23 (Reuters Life!) - A South African device that claims to put a condom on a man with ease in less than three seconds has been named the "most beautiful object" at a design show in Cape Town. Roelf Mulder's plastic condom applicator won top prize at the Design Indaba Beautiful Objects exposition in the tourist resort city, beating out 14 other products, including an ultra-modern pre-fabricated house. "The ease with which it goes on makes it more a pleasure to use than an obstruction or something," Mulder said as several dozen spectators watched an interactive demonstration of his invention nearby. He said the applicator, which took six years to design, could cut the chances of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, especially in South Africa, where more than 10 percent of the population is infected with the AIDS virus. Wrapped in a serrated package that is split open with the help of two thumb-sized handles inside a foil wrapper, the applicator places a pre-loaded condom that slides over an aroused penis to its base. The applicator then pops off. The entire procedure takes less than three seconds, according to Mulder, who claims that it would virtually eliminate the possibility of tearing a condom or putting one on the wrong way. Although not yet on the market, the condom applicator will be priced at between 25 and 30 rand ($3.50 to $4.25) for a pack of three, about the same price as other condoms, Mulder said. "This is something really close to my heart. It encompasses so much. It is not only just design, it has taken political, social spheres into account. It is also looking at solving a problem that many people struggled with."
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