(AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - The federal government is spending $224,863 to test custom-fitted condoms and validate a self-reporting penis measurement system for commercial use.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the grant with funding through July of 2014 to TheyFit, LLC of Covington, Georgia for the project: “Behavioral and Manufacturing Science to Commercially Develop Fitted Condoms.”

“We also seek to improve upon traditional self-report mechanisms of penis measurement by validating the TheyFit measuring tool,” says the grant description on the NIH website. “This would address an important research question regarding validated measures and supply information on whether users have sufficient proficiency to accurately determine their custom condom size.”

According to the grant description, the project also seeks to “conduct laboratory condom testing to increase the evidence base for adopting new draft international standards that establish a model of burst test standards allowing a broader range of condom sizes to be tested.”

Attempts by CNSNews.com to contact the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Michael Cecil, for more details on the study went unreturned.

The National Institutes of Health tell CNSNews.com, “Only by developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for health-injuring behaviors can we reduce the disease burden in the U.S. and thus, enhance health and lengthen life, which is the mission of the NIH.”

“The latex condom is an effective technology to reduce unintended pregnancy and the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and this project seeks to eliminate perceived barriers to condom use.”

The "Public Health Relevance Statement" of the grant states, “Having an expanded range of condom sizes made available is a promising strategy in increasing condom usage, particularly in high-risk populations.”

TheyFit Condom Chart

TheyFit has been offering their custom fitted condoms in the European Union for several years. The company website offers a downloadable penis measuring “ FitKit ” and sells 95 sizes of condoms.

The condoms are currently unavailable in the U.S. but the FAQ section of their website claims, “Condoms are regulated medical devices and must conform to international standards documents such as ISO: 4074. Standards specify what a company must do to test each condom to ensure that it works properly.”

“Condoms must also be approved by medical regulatory bodies, such as a Notified Body in the EU or the FDA in the US. The current International Standard, which was last updated in 2002, mandates a very narrow range of condom sizes, including the requirement that all condoms must be 7 inches or longer.”