LA Weekly Thinks New Condom Could 'Save the Porn Industry'

LOS ANGELES—Dennis Romero, AIDS Healthcare's biggest supporter at LA Weekly, has just published an article on an invention by Torrance resident Charles Powell: the "Galactic Cap," a condom-like device that its inventor claims, "If you use this you might overcome the problem of using a condom on camera." Which'd be nice ... if it works. According to the promotional video accompanying the article, the new device (pictured) consists of two parts: a "base" (the U-shaped part) made of a thin polyurethane adhesive film that folds around the head of the penis and supposedly can remain there for days, which allows the user to urinate (the urethral opening itself is not covered) or even shower with the base in place, and a "cap" made of some flexible material that has a reservoir tip, and which is supposedly held in place by the adhesive base for the duration of the sex act, and which supposedly captures any semen that might be emitted in the process, thus supposedly preventing the transmission of HIV or other sexually-transmitted infections. Romero reports that Powell claims the device "won't come off during sex" and "will successfully trap semen." Powell will be starting an Indiegogo campaign to get funds for the device's development and eventual FDA approval. The campaign is scheduled to go live on June 1. Of course, AVN has not yet seen a demonstration of the device "in action," but certain questions immediately spring to mind: • If the base is made of adhesive polyurethane film, will that adhesive be strong enough to remain on the penis head during the 90 to 120 minutes of energetic sexual intercourse that is typical during a filmed porn scene? And if the adhesive is strong enough, will that make it more difficult to remove from the penis head without damaging said penis after the device's use is completed? • How will the base attach to the penis head of an uncircumcised male? Will it fit under the foreskin? If it does, how comfortable will it be? • Is any expertise needed to attach the base to the penis head so as to prevent gaps or creases that might allow semen to seep out around its edge? • If a person were to attach the base to the penis head for a length of time before intercourse is contemplated, how will the adhesive be affected by contact with underwear or other cloth materials that might stick to the adhesive? Indeed, since penises can be exposed to any number of outside liquids (water, of course, during showering, but lube as well) and other materials like dust or grit, how will the adhesive remain potent if no cap is attached for several hours (or days, as the article claims is possible)? • Is there any problem if the base is attached to the penis head while the male is flaccid, but subsequently has an erection? Does the film stretch if the head expands (albeit minimally)? • Will there be any problem making sure the (plastic? latex?) cap remains free of leaks around its edges once attached to the base? • Will the adhesive be strong enough to keep the cap in place during energetic intercourse, bearing in mind that some women have sufficient control of their Kegel muscles that they can firmly grip the penis during intercourse? • And since intercourse isn't limited to the vagina, will the cap be able to remain attached despite the actions of the sphincter during anal intercourse? • Since some male porn stars use various methods to increase the amount of ejaculate they release during the cumshot (because it looks good on camera), will the reservoir tip of the cap be of sufficient size and/or flexibility to prevent all of the semen from escaping? Needless to say, the adult industry will be watching the development of the Galactic Cap closely, and hopefully, Powell will be able to address the issues raised above once the Indiegogo campaign begins.