Source: BlackDoctor.org
Finding out if your partner has an sexually transmitted infection can soon be as easy as knowing your colors. A group of 13- and 14-year-old students at London’s Isaac Newton Academy wanted to “make detecting harmful STIs safer than ever before” without invasive testing.
Their invention, named the S.T.EYE (pretty clever), nabbed them the top health innovation prize at the city’s TeenTech Awards, which are intended to promote science, engineering, and technology in schools. At the competition, kids ranging from 11-years-old to 16 attempt to create “technology to make life better, simpler or easier.”
The condom uses a built-in indicator that changes to a different color depending on the bacteria or infection it detects. The students said it may glow green for chlamydia, yellow for herpes, purple for human papillomavirus, or blue for syphilis.
According to BuzzFeed, Molecules in the condom attach to the bacteria of common STIs, causing the contraception to fluoresce in low light.
“We wanted to make something that make detecting harmful STIs safer than ever before, so that people can take immediate action in the privacy of their own homes without the invasive procedures at the doctors,” 14-year-old Ali said. “We’ve made sure we’re able to give peace of mind to users and make sure people can be even more responsible than ever before.”
But while they greatly lower the risk of those infections, they don’t completely rule all STD’s out. You can still get Genital herpes
Genital herpes is a viral STD that typically results in sores or lesions on the genitals, anus or upper thighs. So even if the genitals are covered with a condom, there are more ways you can contract this disease. A case of either HSV-1 or HSV-2 is called genital herpes when it affects the genitals or the genital area. Since lesions or sores can occur on parts of the genital region that is exposed during condom use, it can be spread from partner to partner.Molluscum contagiosum causes small red or pink raised bumps to form on the body. These firm bumps sometimes have a concave appearance and are painless. When they occur on the genitals from skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual it is considers an STI.
HPV is the most common STI; there are over 100 strains of the virus. Some strains of HPV go unnoticed and seem to cause no symptoms at all, while others can cause genital warts or various cancers. Because genital warts can be on parts of the genitals that are not covered by a condom, especially female condoms, HPV can be spread via skin-to-skin contact. What’s worse– there is no male STD test for HPV and many cases show no symptoms, so it is often passed on unknowingly to partners.
Molluscum contagiosum causes small red or pink raised bumps to form on the body. These firm bumps sometimes have a concave appearance and are painless. When they occur on the genitals from skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual it is considers an STI.