Charles Powell, creater of the Galactic Cap. "Not because they don't work but because most men don't wear them. Our research indicates 96 percent of all men and women dislike traditional condoms largely because they reduce sensitivity during intercourse. "This is a huge problem because over the years HIV/AIDS has killed over 30 million people." Mr Powell said traditional condoms alone were not solving the issue, so he set out to revolutionise its design. "It is the only condom that will raise usage around the world because it enhances sexual pleasure," he said.

"Since healthy skin is a barrier to infection, the Galactic Cap may help reduce the likelihood of [certain] STIs and HIV if a man doesn't have a sore or abrasion on his penis. "Additionally, the Galactic Cap traps semen which can transmit the HIV virus. That and the increased use of condoms may bode well for the reduction of these diseases." In Western Australia 11,831 cases of chlamydia were reported in 2016. Cases of gonorrhoea jumped from 2308 in 2015 to 3370 last year, and notifications were up 49 percent, according to the WA Department of Health. It is fair to say most men consider the old latex condom as an inconvenience, at best.

But Mr Powell said the confidential customer reviews of his prototyped product are far from negative. "Here are some of their remarks: 'Holy s--t, these things are amazing,'; 'Charles Powell, you, sir, are a genius,'; 'It was Epic. I'm ordering another 10', 'Easy to apply!'", he said. The Galactic Cap is made from two-ply polyurethane which is more or less in the shape a butterfly Band-Aid with adhesive on one side. Its design leaves the rim of the head and shaft partially exposed, and has a small hole in the bottom layer of plastic which aligns with the third eye. Semen is contained in a reservoir between the sheets of polyurethane.

Curtin University student Len Rowell has trialled the product "many times". "The only reason I got onto it was because my girlfriend at the time decided to get off the pill and I was like: 'I hate condoms," he said. In exasperation Mr Rowell googled "different types of condoms" and found the Galactic Cap. "The first time we were a little bit worried and she didn't trust it," he said. "Both of us were like 'we don't know how much this can take', but over the next month we realised it lasts just like a normal one does.

"Fifty percent of the head feels everything. It's pretty phenomenal." However, Mr Rowell said some might be reluctant to get behind or in front of the Galactic Cap while it was still an obscure product, and that it was a better fit for monogamous couples. The Galactic Cap has not yet been approved by the US or Australian regulator. Credit:Charles Powell It is hard to beat the anecdotal evidence, and yet this baby-blocker remains uncertified by the US Food and Drug Administration or Australian authorities. "It doesn't protect against diseases like crabs and herpes, which are skin on skin contact, but in the same sense neither does a conventional condom," Mr Rowell said.

"The only safe thing is abstinence, but that is not really an answer. "I know stats and figures around sexual health and it is a really important thing for this country and our demographic to be having safe sex, and anyway they can do that is good." Mr Rowell has put his money where his mouth is, investing $5,000 in the company behind the Galactic Cap. Rebecca Smith, a spokesperson with WA Sexual Health Quarters, said it supported research into new safe and effective contraceptive option, but said to apply caution until the product was approved. "We also encourage people to be aware of 'novelty' condoms that haven't always been subjected to rigorous testing against approved standards. Always buy from trusted well-known brands," she said.

The Galactic Cap is yet to be put through clinical trials, but an online crowd-fundraising campaign has already raised $US100,000 towards its research and development. World Association of Sexual Health President Rosemary Coates said the Galactic Cap could perhaps be the future of condoms. "The product would have to undergo rigorous testing under usual conditions for similar products," she said. Professor Coates said the prototype might also leave users exposed to STIs. "Traditional condoms present a barrier between the skin on the shaft of the penis and the vaginal walls. The Galactic Cap leaves the shaft and the vaginal walls unprotected," she said.

Mr Powell said his product had received support from the University of California, Long Beach, and that he had plans to penetrate the Australian market once it received the appropriate approvals. "Along with Germany and England we get a great many sales from Australia already," he said. Once the Galactic Cap has been given the CE Mark approval – the European equivalent to US's FDA approval – Mr Powell will start selling a lot more down under. Sales of this new-generation condom totalled $US25,000 in 2016, which is not earth shattering, according to Mr Powell. "But this was achieved with a very high price of $US25 per condom and absolutely no advertising," he said.

"However, by the end of 2017, we plan to begin large scale production, lower the price to $2.50 - $3.50 per condom, obtain regulatory approval, and commence a worldwide marketing campaign." A regular condom in comparison costs $0.50 to $1. If this happens, Mr Powell expects the $US27 billion condom market is in for a "tremendous shakeup".