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  • Title: Virus leakage through natural membrane condoms.
    Author: Lytle CD, Carney PG, Vohra S, Cyr WH, Bockstahler LE.
    Journal: Sex Transm Dis; 1990; 17(2):58-62. PubMed ID: 2163114.
    Abstract:
    The authors determined virus leakage from condoms made from processed sheep caecum using two viral probes simultaneously. They poured a mixture of two viruses, the bacteriophage, phi X174 (4 X 10(7) pfu/ml), and the human pathogen, herpes simplex virus (about 1 X 10(6) pfu/ml), in a buffered solution into condoms, which were suspended into beakers also containing buffered solution. The authors then assayed aliquots from the beakers to measure the extent of virus leakage from the condoms. With one brand of condom, 10 out of 24 samples leaked small amounts of phi X174; with the other brand of condom, 13 out of 24 samples gave similar leakage. The extent of leakage varied over two orders of magnitude from condom to condom within each brand. Of the 23 condoms that leaked the smaller virus, phi X174 (27 nm in diameter), only two also leaked the larger herpesvirus (120-150 nm in diameter). These data demonstrate that (1) large and small viruses can leak from natural membrane condoms; (2) there is considerable variation from condom to condom in allowing leakage of the viruses; and (3) leakage of a small virus does not necessarily indicate that a larger virus will leak from that particular condom. The authors explain some inconsistencies in the published literature. 24 natural membrane condoms of 2 brand were tested in a static bath for leakage of a small virus, PhiX174, 27 nm in diameter, and a larger virus, Herpes Simplex Virus Type I, 120-150 nm in diameter, in a 4-hour experiment. These viruses were chosen because the bacteriophage PhiX174 is slightly smaller than Hepatitis B and is easy and safe to assay, and Herpes virus is close in size and chemical composition to HIV, and is relatively easy to assay on mouse kidney cells. For the test 40 million plaque forming units (pfu/ml of PhiX174 and 1 million herpes simplex pfu/ml were incubated in a condom suspended in a beaker containing Dulbecco's phosphate buffer, with magnetic stirring. 10 to 24 condoms of Brand A and 13 of 24 Brand B leaked some phage. 2 condoms leaked some herpes virus. The results were computed into an index of barrier function, the barrier ratio. There was a variation in leakage over 2 orders of magnitude between condoms. The results in this status situation were similar to those obtained by others in a simulated active coitus experiment, in that greater amounts of the smaller viruses leaked through natural condoms.
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