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I don't have to tell you condoms are important.As a technology, they boast the ultimate killer app: one that cannot naturally, nor willfully, become obsolete. Yet no matter how effective, important, or downright essential rubbers are, they're rarely sexy in and of themselves. That's due, in large part, to the material: latex. It's dry, grainy, and thick. Over the duration of a single CD, its powdery texture can become remarkably frictional, causing even the most excited participant to reach for refreshment of the oil- or water-based variety.
Now, an alternative exists that may change your attitude about jimmy hats: the Avanti polyurethane condom by Ramses.
Avanti regards itself as the superior sheath in all ways, satisfying even the most fetishized aesthete or distinguishing slut. It's the male counterpart to Reality, the female condom made of the same material. The Avanti is three times thinner than latex - I could read a thumb print beneath its 0.04-millimeter walls. These jackets are barely visible and odorless so you can remain stealthfully nude and naturally multicolorful. They're so strong, I even fit one around a 2-liter soda bottle - yikes.
Polyurethane is not as flexible as latex, but the Avanti design compensates for that by increasing the width. The variety of styles is also fairly simplistic: thin and superthin ("superthin" simply means "extra lubricant"). The sheath conducts heat remarkably well and is safe for both oil- and water-based lubricants. And its price tag of US$2 apiece - more expensive than most condoms - begs a user to question if potential partners are Avanti-worthy.
More formal testing, by a laboratory and the governmental patenting agencies, is in its final stages, with the national release set for the fall. Anyone for plug-and-play?
Avanti regular and superthin six-pack: US$11.95. Schmid Laboratories: (800) 926 6366, +1 (213) 933 9262, on the Web at www.condomania.com/.
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