New Condom Could Save California's Porn Industry

California’s multi=billion dollar porn industry has been under attack, according to industry members, ever since the State Assembly passed a bill requiring the use of condoms. But thanks to some good old fashioned ingenuity, a man might have just found the perfect workaround.

The bill in question would establish criminal penalties if a performer shoots without a condom. “If the bill passes, we’ll have to move out of state, as will most studios,” Mike Stabile of Kink.com, a condom-optional studio, told Fusion. “It’s probably the biggest fight the industry has faced since the Reagan administration.”

Since a local ordinance requiring condoms passed in Los Angeles County in 2012, local porn permit applications have dropped 95 percent.

The bill now advances to the state Senate, and later the Governor if it passes there.

So what could possibly help the soon-to-be fleeing industry? One potential answer is the Galactic Cap condom, developed by L.A.-area inventor Charles Powell. Powelll says he was inspired after a friend who contracted AIDS in the 80s.

The cap’s trick is that it only fits over the head of the penis, and it would be almost completely invisible to cameras. If brought to market, the invention could fulfill both condom skeptical performers and the needs of studios who say that audiences just don’t like seeing condoms in their videos.

Watch the (arguably) NSFW video tutorial here.

Powell says that the base can even be worn for hours, or days before sex. When you’re ready to get it on all you have to do is put on the reservoir cap that sticks to the base, and voila— you’re good to go. The cap should absorb all the semen, and adequately protect from HIV and other STIs, according to Powell. However, the product still needs FDA approval to be considered 100% legit for public and commercial use.

According to LA Weekly, Powell is taking the idea to crowdfunding site IndieGoGo with a campaign that will start on June 1. He hopes that with the funds raised, the FDA approval will soon come. He also says porn studios have already approached him about being investors in the product.

“If you use this you might overcome the problem of using a condom on camera. A lot of people might not like the look of [traditional condoms] going in and out,” he told LA Weekly. “It’s transparent, on the head, so it doesn’t look so gross.”

For their part, Stabile of Kink.com says that the product looks intriguing, but it depends on how it actually works on set.

“One of the main reasons performers don’t like condoms is that after three or four hours of filmed sex, the friction from a condom can cause painful abrasions,” he said. “If this solution were more comfortable, it might be something more performers might be interested in.”

Daniel Rivero is a producer/reporter for Fusion who focuses on police and justice issues. He also skateboards, does a bunch of arts related things on his off time, and likes Cuban coffee.