Condoms are a need, not a want. So why not make them as minimal as possible?

Brands have tried with the ultra-thin this and the super-sensitive that. But, so far, your options are to place an obvious barrier between you and your lover … or not. Condoms are a huge issue in adult video, which is fighting mandatory prophylactic rules because, the industry says, consumers don't want to see them.

See also: Porn's Condom Law Approved by California Assembly

It turns out that an L.A. area inventor just might have a solution:
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Charles Powell's Galactic Cap is a prophylactic device that goes only on the very tip of the penis. It sounds like a challenge to the laws of physics, but Powell says it works.

It's a two-piece product that uses a U-shaped base comprised of a polyurethane adhesive film and a cap that sticks to that film.

The base can be put on hours or even days before sex, and it allows users to urinate or even shower. You can see how it works via this (warning: NSFW) video:


Powell says that it won't come off during sex and that it will successfully trap semen. “It leaves the coronal ridge and shaft exposed for more powerful orgasm,” he told us. 

The device could be a game-changer, but Powell says it needs FDA approval first. And that takes money.

He told us he had investors lined up, but when he lost a contest to receive a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, they got cold feet.

Now the man from Torrance, whose day job is in film and video production, says he's taking his quest to get the Galactic Cap made to crowdfunding site Indiegogo. His campaign launches Sunday (June 1).

Powell recognizes the possible implications for the adult video industry. He says a couple of folks from that business have even expressed interest in investing:

If you use this you might overcome the problem of using a condom on camera. A lot of people might not like the look of the thing going in and out. It's transparent, on the head, so it doesn't look so gross.

He says he was inspired by a friend's 1980s HIV death. Powell has been working on it for 2 and a half years.

“I don't want to position this product as an adult toy,” he says. “It's serious.”

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