“Edison had his light bulb, Ford had his Model T, and Jan Vinzenz Krause has his spray-on condom. Inspired by the mechanics of a drive-through car wash, the German sexual-health educator designed a custom-fitting male contraceptive using liquid latex and some materials from a hardware store.” – Time Magazine

I am delighted that someone is trying to develop a new product that once it’s perfected will help sexually active men and women of all ages. Men rarely talk about the difficulty with one-size-fits-all condoms and their prevailing distaste for using them at all. Yes, wise and responsible men use them anyway to prevent STD’s and unwanted conception, but I’ve never heard a man say he likes them.

So the idea of spray liquid latex that fits like the perfect glove is great. It seems logical that as Krause claims, “It will fit 100% perfectly, so the safety is much higher than a standard condom’s, and it feels more natural.” Plus it eliminates the ever-embarrassing “which size do get I get” question. According to Time, Trojan’s Magnum line, whose condoms are 15% bigger than regular ones, accounts for 13% of the U.S. market. But when the company introduced a smaller condom several years ago, it had to discontinue it. Who would want to deal with the embarrassment of drugstore or even online purchase jitters? Spray ‘n play is an excellent idea.

Several years ago a very savvy but recently divorced 53 year-old client of mine started dating again after being out of the market for 20 years. As he was leaving my office I stopped him and said, “Remember to use condoms.” Shocked, startled and red-faced, he turned around with a bit of attitude evident in his stance. I continued, “Yes and the ones that feel good (e.g. lambskin) aren’t good for preventing disease.” Slowly he turned towards me and shyly smiled. “I didn’t know that,” he admitted.

I can’t wait until I can tell another receptive guy that his protection issues are solved. All he has to do is buy the tube, feel good and be safe. What a wonderful idea.

Previously Published in 2008