Bill Gates is putting his money behind developing the world's thinnest condom, a move he hopes will encourage increased use among men in developing nations who say they don't use them because of decreased pleasure.
In a question-and-answer session with bestselling Indian author Chetan Bhagat, Bill and his wife Melinda told an audience in New Delhi that they've given two $100,000 grants to teams in university teams in England and Oregon who are working creating ultra-thin condoms half the thickness of the best condoms currently on the market.
According to The Times of India, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to spend a total of $1 million on helping create the best condom possible.
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The billionaire philanthropist said the "next generation" condom is different from innovations he helped develop to fight malaria and tuberculosis in other developing nations, and will help fight the spread of HIV and enable family planning.
"There could be a market for this [thin condom] among well-off nations, which doesn't happen with a lot of innovations," he said.
Melinda Gates reported that in addition to the condom, the foundation was interested in developing a lozenge-like contraceptive tablet that could be placed in the vagina.
That product, she said, "could put family planning in the hands of women" as well,
according to Yahoo News.
In general, Gates seemed optimistic about India's development, responding to one student's question by saying, "India is the worst hit in terms of child mortality but it is an easier country to work in. You have good roads so it is easy to reach people unlike, say Congo, where you cannot even get people to a clinic."
He said he was enthused to hear announcements of increased health and sanitation efforts from the new right-wing administration lead by Premier Narendra Modi. One of those measures announced by Modi was a promise that every Indian citizen would have a toilet and clean water by 2022.
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