Three English schoolboys invent smart condoms that detect STDs

“Muaz Nawaz, Daanyaal Ali, and Chirag Shah, three British schoolboys, have developed smart condoms capable of detecting STDs as part of a competition for young scientists in the United Kingdom. This intelligent condom changes color to indicate the presence of a sexually transmitted disease. The invention, however, is still a concept awaiting a patent before being commercialized.”

Three British schoolboys, aged between 12 and 14 years old, have been honored in a competition for young scientists for creating smart condoms capable of detecting STDs. Their idea is simple: the condom changes color when it comes into contact with sexually transmitted diseases.

The condom changes color upon contact with certain bacteria

These budding scientists named Daanyaal Ali, Chirag Shah, and Muaz Nawaz have invented the first condom capable of detecting STDs. To achieve this, they added molecules that attach to bacteria on the latex of the condom. The condom changes color at the slightest detection of bacteria from a sexually transmitted infection. The color varies depending on the type of disease: for a person with chlamydia, the condom turns green; for syphilis, it takes on a yellow color; in the case of herpes, the condom turns blue; and for human papillomavirus, it changes to purple.

A scientific project

For now, this STD-detecting condom remains a scientific project. Indeed, the three teenagers who invented it only participated in a competition for young Britons. The brilliant invention received the first prize in the health category. The winners stated that this concept was born from their desire to find a simple and effective way to detect these diseases at home without having to visit a doctor’s office. It is worth noting that HIV/AIDS is not yet detectable by this new system.