This release is current as of 20.12.2017.

According to World Health Organization, annually the world has 86 million unintended pregnancies and a maternal mortality of 287,000 women, with unsafe abortion accounting for a high percentage of maternal deaths. An estimated 222 million women wish to delay or space their pregnancies but do not have access to modern contraceptives. On top of this, there are 499 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occurring each year. In 2011, an estimated 2.5 million people became newly infected with HIV,  with heterosexual contact as one of the primary modes of transmission.

With an ever-increasing prevalence of unintended pregnancies and STIs, the world is in urgent need of a contraceptive method that can be completely preventive of the above, while at the same time affordable and user-friendly.

Invented and patented by a gynecologist in Malaysia, Wondaleaf may be the answer to such needs, as shown by successful testing of working and functional prototypes.

Wondaleaf is an ultra-thin (of 0.02 to 0.025 mm) waterproof polyurethane female condom that has an extended adhesive shield covering the entire external genitalia to prevent direct skin contact and exchange of body fluid between sexual partners during intercourse, thereby providing potentially 100% protection against unintended pregnancies and STIs.

Chemically inert Polyurethane film has long been used in both male and female condom industries. It is stronger, thinner and provides better tactile and heat transfers than latex or nitrile used in standard condoms and female condoms.

Wondaleaf is designed to be easily deployed on a female user within seconds. Like 3M’s Tegaderm transparent film wound dressing, it is light and flexible, thus allowing Wondaleaf to be worn at any time before coitus and removed any time after that, both at the convenience of the user. The waterproof adhesive shield can block out unpleasant vaginal or anal discharges and menstruation from within, and contaminants and soiling from outside, therefore freeing the users from biological and environmental restrictions in sexual activities. In addition to these, the shield can be coloured,  perfumed or flavoured to enhance the user’s look and appeal.

For women, Wondaleaf gives them the empowerment they badly need in the prevention of pregnancies and STIs.  For men, Wondaleaf avoids the loss of sensation associated with condom and the need of maintaining erection to keeping condom in place. Furthermore,  if the men so wish, they can turn Wondaleaf into a male condom that comes with an extended protective shield by simply inverting the condom portion of Wondaleaf.

One of the most important aspects of Wondaleaf however lies in the fact that it is totally and immediately reversible contraception, it does not require medical consultations and interventions, and it is essentially free of contraindications and side effects. None of the currently available contraceptive methods is able to fulfil all these criteria of an ideal contraception.

Just like surgeries are now performed with gloved hands;  in years to come, it will be both unsavoury and reckless for anyone to have sexual intercourse without wearing a comprehensive protective barrier such as Wondaleaf.