The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever condom made specifically for gay males.
The FDA has authorized the sturdy condoms for use during anal intercourse, specifically green-lighting the condom for the LGBT+ community.
The One Male Condom was designed and manufactured by the Global Protection Corporation.
Most condoms are already recommended for anal sex, but they are required to be marketed specifically towards vaginal sex.
The One Male Condom will be marketed specifically towards gay males. The FDA’s approval is seen as a victory for sexual health by experts, since unprotected anal sex is considered the highest risk for HIV transmission.
“The FDA’s authorization of a condom that is specifically indicated, evaluated and labeled for anal intercourse may improve the likelihood of condom use during anal intercourse,” said FDA scientist Courtney Lias in a statement.
In clinical studies, the durable condoms prevented transfer of bodily fluids in 95% of test subjects. The study included 252 straight men between ages 18 and 54.
“The important thing about condoms is they don’t just prevent HIV, but they prevent gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis,” Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor and medical director of an HIV clinic in San Francisco, told AFP.
She added it was surprising that the FDA authorization took so long to occur.
