Next Generation Condoms - Bill Gates Foundation Awarding $100k Grants
If you think you can create a Next Generation Condom that considerably enhances or preserves pleasure, the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation might award you a Phase I $100,000 grant. The aim is to improve condom uptake and regular use.
Male condoms are inexpensive, easy to produce and distribute, they are available all over the world, even in remote and resource poor settings.
Currently, about 15 billion condoms are produced each year and there are an estimated 750 million users. According to Grand Challenges in Global Health, it is a steadily growing market.
Condoms are nearly universally recognized. When used correctly, condoms can protect females from becoming pregnant and both sexual partners from several sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Nowhere in the world is a prescription required to obtain a condom.
Unlike other contraceptives or STI-preventive products, condom usage is not linked to adverse events.
With all these advantages, the male condom is the ideal multi-purpose prevention technology (MPT) product, especially in low-resource areas.
The problem with condoms is the male perception of decreased pleasure
The major obstacle to condom consistent usage is that men say they get more sexual pleasure without them. Given that the decision on whether to use a condom is made a few minutes or seconds before intercourse, it often remains unused.
Could we develop a Next Generation Condom that enhances pleasure? One that men would keenly use. If so, the benefits to global health would be huge, both in terms of reducing unwanted/unplanned pregnancies, HIV transmission, and other STIs.
What about female condoms? - they need to be inserted properly, this needs training. They are not cheap. A significant number of men don't like them. According to Grand Challenges in Global Health "While negotiating use of female condoms may be easier than male condoms, this need for negotiation precisely illustrates the barrier preventing greater use that we seek to address through this call."
The Challenge
Condoms started being used for contraception about 400 years ago. Over the last five decades, they have undergone very little technological improvement, except for the use of latex as the primary material.
Over the last 50 years, our knowledge of material science and neurobiology has undergone a "revolutionary transformation", especially during the last decade. Unfortunately, none of these scientific breakthroughs has been applied to "one of the most ubiquitous and potentially underutilized products on earth".
Today we can rapidly test new concept designs with new materials. We do not need lengthy clinical trials with thousands of participants. Everything is already in place - manufacturing capacity, marketing and distribution channels.
Grand Challenges in Global Health says:
"We are looking for a Next Generation Condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use. Additional concepts that might increase uptake include attributes that increase ease-of-use for male and female condoms, for example better packaging or designs that are easier to properly apply.
In addition, attributes that address and overcome cultural barriers are also desired."
For any proposal to be considered, it must:
· Have a testable hypothesis
· Have details of an associated plan on how to test and validate the idea
· In order to be considered for Phase II funding, it must yield interpretable and unambiguous data
Below are some examples of work that would be seriously considered for $100,000 grants:
· The use of new materials that may enhance or preserve sensation. These materials must be safe.
· Development and testing of new condom shapes which can improve the user experience
· Improving condom desirability by applying knowledge from other fields, including vascular biology or neurobiology
The following will not be considered for funding:
· Exclusively educational, social or non-technological interventions
· Testing of products which are already commercially available
· Proposals where the hypothesis or testing plan to overcome compliance (adherence) issues are not clearly laid out
· Concepts which would be beyond the budgets of people or health authorities in poorer parts of the world
· Ideas which would undermine the value of condoms as effective contraceptive devices and protectors from HIV infection
比爾蓋茲出獎金 鼓勵設計全新保險套
年03月24日21:37
保險套可說是種世紀大發明，但微軟(Microsoft)創辦人比爾蓋茨(Bill Gates)可能覺得還不夠保險，日前提出，只要能發明新世代更簡便的保險套，就可以獲得10萬美元(約台幣297萬元)的獎金。
蓋茨基金會表示，為增加保險套的使用率，這款「新時代保險套」必須更容易使用，方便拿取，或簡化穿戴過程。
蓋茨先前已舉辦過馬桶創新設計比賽，以改善第三世界國家衞生情況，近日又再提出為「新世代保險套」開出獎金。
蓋茲祭獎金 徵求新時代保險套
· 2013-03-24 21:28
· 新聞速報
· 【中央社】
微軟公司（Microsoft）創辦人比爾．蓋茲（Bill Gates）已經將注意力轉移到十分不同的領域，蓋茲基金會將提供10萬美元獎金，鼓勵發明家研發「新時代保險套」。
英國「每日郵報」報導，這項任務是由蓋茲基金會（Gates Foundation）「全球醫療保健計畫大挑戰」計畫（Grand Challenges in Global Health Program）發起，申請至5月截止，主旨是研發「能大為保留或提高快感的新時代保險套，以增加接受度和使用率，」。
自2008年以來，蓋茲基金會這項計畫已在50個國家提供超過800筆獎助金。這些獲獎的研發項目相當廣泛，從尋找人類免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）療法至使用微波頻率對抗瘧疾等。
許多慈善家都讚揚蓋茲基金會，因為它能選定特定的科學或醫療目標，並且取得成果。
蓋茲基金會說明獎勵研發「新時代保險套」的原因時間單表示，這個領域一直以來都沒有太多革新。
他們說：「使用保險套的歷史大約有400年，但在過去50年，卻幾乎沒有任何技術革新。」
使用保險套益處多，除避免懷孕或傳染性病外，保險套的費用相對來說較低廉。1020324
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
比爾蓋茲真是大好人，取之於社會，用之於社會。
老娘應該用不到，因為老娘已過受孕年齡，不必擔心懷孕所以也不用避孕。
但若有腦筋好的人，真能發明出來「新時代保險套」，就可以造福我們下一代年輕人了。
只是希望大家戴了《蓋茲牌保險套》之後，不會變成《微軟》或一直叫人《重灌》或《重新開機》就好。
[Paul:]
Havin' my baby
What a lovely way of sayin'
How much you love me
Havin' my baby
What a lovely way of sayin'
What you're thinkin' of me
I can see it, face is glowin'
I can see in your eyes
I'm happy you know it
[Both:]
That you're havin' my baby
[Paul:]
You're the woman I love
And I love what it's doin' to ya
[Both:]
Havin' my baby
[Paul:]
You're a woman in love
And I love what's goin' through ya
[Paul:]
The need inside you
I see it showin'
Whoa, the seed inside ya
Baby, do you feel it growin'
Are you happy you know it
That you're
[Both:]
Havin' my baby
[Odia:]
I'm a woman in love
And I love what it's doin' to me
[Both:]
Havin' my baby
[Odia:]
I'm a woman in love
And I love what's goin' through me
[Paul:]
Didn't have to keep it
Wouldn't put ya through it
You could have swept it from you life
But you wouldn't do it
No, you wouldn't do it
[Both:]
And you're havin' my baby
[Odia:]
I'm a woman in love
And I love what it's doin' to me
[Both:]
Havin' my baby
[Odia:]
I'm a woman in love
And I love what's goin' through me
[Paul:]
Havin' my baby (havin' my baby)
What a lovely way of sayin'
How much you love me
[Paul:]
Havin' my baby
(havin' my baby)
[Odia:]
I'm a woman in love
And I love what's goin' through me
==============================
KK [͵kɑntrəˋsɛptɪv] DJ [͵kɔntrəˋseptiv]
KK [juˋbɪkwətəs] DJ [ju:ˋbikwitəs]
到處存在的, 普遍存在的
KK [pɚˋsɛpʃən] DJ [pəˋsepʃən]
1. 感知, 感覺; 察覺[U]
n. 名詞
KK [͵ʌndɚˋjutlaɪzd] DJ [͵ʌndərˋju:tilaizd]
KK [͵ʌndɚˋjuzd] DJ [͵ʌndərˋju:zd]
未充分利用的; 使用不當的
KK [͵ʌndɚˋmaɪn] DJ [͵ʌndəˋmain]
1. 在...下挖坑道
vt. 及物動詞
KK [ədˋhɪrəns] DJ [ədˋhiərəns]
n.[U][(+to)]
KK [haɪˋpɑθəsɪs] DJ [haiˋpɔθisis]
n. 名詞
KK [ˋvæskjəlɚ] DJ [ˋvæskjulə]
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