Reusable condoms | Jennifer Mayo | TEDxOStateU

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.

Jennifer Mayo is a health education and promotion senior from Sulphur, Okla. She is the first and only undergraduate student included in the prestigious Riata Faculty Fellows and also holds a fellowship for the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance. Jennifer is working to create health products for developing countries, such as a reusable condoms, catheters and gloves. Mayo discusses the development of these new products in her talk.

Condoms.

Not just any condom, a reusable condom.

I'm sure you're thinking,

"Jennifer, that is the first thing
that you do not do with a condom."

(Laughter)

Or "Jennifer, that's disgusting!",

because those are the usual comments
I get when I tell people

that I've created
a reusable condom business.

But let me first explain
how I came up with this idea.

When I was 12, I decided
to start saving for a trip to India;

when I was 20 I left for India by myself.

And when I got there, there was
a non-government organization

that allowed me to do school education,
health education, or women's loan groups.

But, basically, when I am in a village

if they need help
reproducing chickens more quickly,

you just read a book
and try to figure it out.

After two semesters had gone by, I said,
"I'm not ready to come home yet,"

and so, I flew to Ghana, Africa.

And there, I had the privilege
of doing some preliminary work

for a girls' home called The Pearl House.

After that, I got to spend
some time in a rural village.

Some of the pictures that will be playing
behind me are from that village.

This village had no electricity
and no running water.

We lived in mud huts.

Children had swollen bellies
from malnutrition;

men and women, of all ages,
were dying from malaria,

and some of the girls
were being trafficked.

Places like this are real,
and it's just not something we see on TV.

When you come home from a trip like this,
reverse culture-shock is at its highest.

I was mad at myself,
and I was mad at America,

every time I thought
about using my iPhone,

purchasing a 50 dollar pair of jeans,

or just simply turning on the water.

And I am thinking, "Oh my gosh,
what am I doing with my life?

This is crazy! This is not OK,
and I have to do something!"

So, I was sitting in class, here at OSU,

talking about marketing techniques
for condom packaging,

and this is where I came up
with my reusable condom idea.

And of course, when I pitched the idea,
the other students laughed hysterically.

I knew that was going to happen.

But a few months later,

OSU began the development
of a reusable condom.

So, let me explain how it works:

after you use the condom,
you're able to boil it for 20 minutes,

and it's good for up to 100 uses.

People in places like Ghana, Africa,
don't have access to contraceptives,

so what they're doing
is using the withdrawal method,

which we know that it does not work,
and doesn't prevent disease.

But, let's say they are able
to get to some sort of market;

they're going to purchase rice,
fruits and vegetables,

or malaria antibiotics

over one, single, disposable condom.

Current condom materials are not reusable

because they do not retain their shape
or their elasticity after a single use,

or after being boiled in water.

But they can retain their strength,
their texture, and barrier properties,

but only up to a certain thickness,

and after this, they're going to lose
their desirability and sensitivity.

Any new condom material
will be successful in the marketplace

only if it can perform far better
than current condom materials.

OSU has been doing some incredible work.

They've been able to formulate
many new materials

that are able to withstand
the boiling process

and return to their original shape.

And in the next month,
OSU will test those materials.

Let me go ahead and say
I don't need any volunteers,

there are other methods for testing.

But my passion is
for every single one of you

to go to these places
and see these needs for yourself.

Listen, like I said,
these places are real.

We could hop on a plane
and be there in 12 hours.

We could be there tomorrow morning.

And once you're there, I promise,
you'll see these people are worth it.

I know a reusable condom
might be an awkward thing to talk about,

but I'm going to choose
an uncomfortable life

that's going to benefit others.

And so, I hope all of us will dream
innovative ideas with others in mind

so together can prevent disease,

prolong life, and do something
other than for ourselves.

Thank you.

(Applause)