Health & Wellbeing

One-Handed Condom is a snap to open

One-Handed Condom is a snap to open
The One-Handed Condom was designed as an easy-open contraceptive for people with partial paralysis
The One-Handed Condom was designed as an easy-open contraceptive for people with partial paralysis
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All a person has to do is slide their thumb over the front to break the seal and the condom slips right out, ready to use
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All a person has to do is slide their thumb over the front to break the seal and the condom slips right out, ready to use
The One-Handed Condom was designed as an easy-open contraceptive for people with partial paralysis
2/3
The One-Handed Condom was designed as an easy-open contraceptive for people with partial paralysis
The One-Handed Condom's wrapper has a perforated seam along the front and a small ridge to grip it easily
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The One-Handed Condom's wrapper has a perforated seam along the front and a small ridge to grip it easily
View gallery - 3 images

Safe sex and contraception are awkward subjects for many people, especially when it comes time to actually practicing them. In a moment that's all about maintaining the mood, nothing can spoil the romance like struggling to pry open a condom wrapper like a bag of airline peanuts. With that in mind, imagine what a minefield a night of intimacy could be for someone suffering from hemiplegia, a somewhat common disorder that causes paralysis on one side of the body. That's why one designer developed the One-Handed Condom, an easy-open contraceptive that can be flicked open just by snapping it between two fingers.

Designer Benjamin Pawle came up with the concept for the condom as part of a project called "Preserving Human Dignity," which seeks to create simple solutions for people with hemiplegia to handle common tasks. After creating a game that teaches hemiplegic children to use buttons by creating cloth armor, Pawle turned his attention to problems that might arise for adults.

The One-Handed Condom's wrapper has a perforated seam along the front and a small ridge to grip it easily
The One-Handed Condom's wrapper has a perforated seam along the front and a small ridge to grip it easily

Without the full use of two hands, opening an ordinary condom wrapper often leaves hemiplegic males resorting to either ripping it with their teeth or asking their companion to open it for them – two methods that risk damaging the condom or at least adding some unwanted awkwardness. Pawle hopes an easy-open condom might help young adults avoid any added embarrassment and boost their confidence as they start to become sexually active.

The One-Handed Condom's wrapper has a perforated seam along the front and a small ridge to grip it easily. A thin plastic membrane lines the inside of the foil to keep the condom intact. All a person has to do is slide their thumb over the front to break the seal and the condom slips right out, ready to use. It takes just a few seconds to go from wrapper to wrapped in one fluid motion and looks much smoother than opening a regular condom, almost a little stylish in fact.

All a person has to do is slide their thumb over the front to break the seal and the condom slips right out, ready to use
All a person has to do is slide their thumb over the front to break the seal and the condom slips right out, ready to use

The One-Handed Condom will be on display, along with the rest of Pawle's Preserving Human Dignity project at the Victoria & Albert Museum as part of the London Design Festival from September 14-23.

Check out the video below to see how the One-Handed Condom can be put to use with just a snap of the fingers.

Source: Ben Pawle

Demo: One Handed Condom Wrapper

View gallery - 3 images
7 comments
7 comments
Rt1583
Though I can't speak from the viewpoint of a partially paralized person, it would seem that this only addresses on problem. Can a condom be put on, properly, with one hand? Never tried one handed so I honestly don't know.
Alan Belardinelli
The one-handed sheathing is a total power move. Learn to do it and make a great first impression...
Jansen Estrup
This is way cooler than finger-snapping open the Zippo lighters we used when I was a kid, and a million times healthier!
FlFan
As a female who only has use of one hand, I certainly can appreciate the concept of this invention. I hope this catches on with manufacturers of other products. As our population ages and manufacturers become more sensitive to the needs of people who are differently-abled, they realize they can increase their market share by catering to everyone.
Marco Corona
For all the sexually promiscuous, kinky things young people get involved with these days, why should proper use of a condom be considered uncomfortable or an embarrassment? You would think they could find a creative way for both partners to make putting one on part of their sexual experience rather than an interruption in the heat of the moment.
(my remarks have nothing against those suffering from hemiplegia)
YukonJack
Putting one on sounds as easy as rolling a cigarette with one hand.
JAT
and once you master the one handed bra release you're in like Flynn!