Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. A review of company studies of the Avanti polyurethane condom suggests that the condom slips and breaks less often or with the same frequency as latex condoms. Approved in 1991 for latex-sensitive individuals, Avanti is the only male condom, other than lamb skin, available to the estimated one percent to two 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. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.