A review of company studies of the Avanti polyurethane condom suggests that it slips and breaks less often or with the same frequency as latex condoms. The government study was requested by the Food and Drug Administration after previous studies showed high breakage rates with the new condom. Approved in 1991 for latex-sensitive individuals, Avanti is the only male condom, other than lamb skin, available for the estimated 1 percent to 2 percent of the general population that is sensitive to latex.
Experts expect more people to develop greater sensitivity to latex with repeated exposure.
Meanwhile, the maker of Avanti, London International Group of Cambridge, England, reported that the condoms broke at a rate of 0.9 percent and that latex condoms broke at a rate of 2.1 percent. Several other plastic condoms have been submitted to the FDA for approval, and a thicker version of Avanti was approved last year. Noncommercial reproduction encouraged. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996.