Hailee Steinfeld’s gynaecologist buddy invented the world’s 1st Unisex Condom after years of patient pestering about STDs and unwanted pregnancies

Malaysian gynaecologist Dr John Tang invented the world’s first three-dimensional contraceptive barrier for men and women alike, and is way thinner than a regular condom.

The idea emerged as Dr John Tang was sick and tired of the complaints about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancies from his patients.

The answer to these complaints appeared simple enough: just use a condom! But traditional (commercialised) condoms just weren’t cutting it, it seemed.

“The condom only covers the penis, it does not cover the man’s pubic area. A lot of infections, such as herpes simplex or genital warts, occur at the base of the penis,” he explained in an interview.
“The same thing applies to women. The condom is only good for protection in the vagina. Outside the vagina — the vulva, the labia — they are not protected by the condom.”

Through the complaints, he also found that couples did not like using male condoms because they often slipped off and could not be used if a man loses his erection during intimacy.

Setting out to solve the Godsend issues, Tang came up with his own version of the female condom – Wondaleaf

A Modern Day Fig Leaf

Named after the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to hide their nakedness, the Wondaleaf Unisex Condom started out as a female condom.
Essentially, it’s a sticky condom. Unlike regular female condoms, not only does it involve a pouch to be inserted into the vagina, the Wondaleaf also has two adhesive wings that cover the perineal area and lower abdomen.

Dr Tang wanted this condom to solve 4 problems that his research identified:

• Existing condoms only protect the genitalia and not the public or perineal area,
• Condoms are mostly used by men but are prone to slipping once they lose their erection,
• Most people are not aware of female condoms,
• People refuse to use condoms due to loss of sensation and latex allergies.

As such, the original design was a pouch held inside the vagina with the support of an adhesive shield attached to the abdomen and a retention unit inside the woman.

Eventually, he found that this could be inverted to become an external condom, thus making it unisex.

Male or female, the condom acts as a stick-on dressing that covers both internal and external genitalia. This is a key difference between Wondaleaf’s condoms and traditional ones.

Dr Tang explained, “Condoms don’t cover the pubic area, and a lot of infections, such as herpes simplex or genital warts occur there, and for women, the vulva and labia aren’t protected by the current female condom.”

Twin Catalyst also developed a miniaturized male-only version called the Wondaleaf Cap Condom, using the same barrier film material but only covering the penis like a traditional condom.

“It’s designed for a man in a monogamous relationship where contraception, rather than STIs transmission, is the main concern,” Dr Tang said. “The advantage over the existing condom is that it’s slippage and spillage proof, erection independent, and is thinner and not constraining like a latex male condom.”

Rigorous Testing

Condoms are considered to be a high-risk medical device due to the consequences of their failure.

Hence, Dr Tang’s team took 3 years to ensure the material was suitable for its intended purpose.

The condoms have also been tested for viral penetration, biocompatibility, and tensile properties.

“Most condoms are required to have a tensile strength of 39 Newtons (approximately 3.9kg of force), and have a bursting point of 1 kPa,” he said.
“Wondaleaf has a tensile strength of 41 Newtons and has a bursting point of 14.8kPa. So, we’re confident consumers will be safe using them.”
The condoms have also met International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) requirements, such as freedom from holes, visible defects and tear strength, to name a few.

Will Dudes even bother to try this… Modern Fig Leaf?

Putting one on involves folding and tucking, which might lead to user error. Plus, the thought of peeling an adhesive off a sensitive area put dudes off.
Here’s what Dr Tang had to say: “We think it’s a good thing that the material looks soft and thin. The 0.02mm polyurethane condom feels good. The thickness, or should I say thinness, allows for excellent heat transfer and enhanced sensation,”

Over the next 2 years, Dr Tang hopes to see Wondaleaf condoms being adopted by United Nations Population Fund and United States Agency For International Development, to help prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs.

What’s the financial damage like?

Not only is the material affordable (Wondaleaf is being sold for RM14.95 (USD 3.53) for a pack of two, compared to other female condoms that usually cost RM12 (USD2.83) each), it is also only 0.04mm thin, which provides better heat transfer and tactile sensation than standard condoms — No idea WTF is this… Never mind.