Ba. Rosenzweig et al., OBSERVATIONS OF SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY DETECTED ABNORMALITIES OF NONLUBRICATED LATEX CONDOMS, Contraception, 53(1), 1996, pp. 49-53
To describe surface abnormalities found by scanning electron microscop
y of non-lubricated latex condoms, thirty samples of 15 condoms were p
hotographed at low (26-94x), medium (240-940x) and high (>1000x) magni
fication. Each sample was initially scanned at low magnification to de
termine the presence and location Of surface abnormalities. Photograph
s taken at medium and high magnification were of the area most represe
ntative of the abnormality. Nine samples (30%) were completely normal
at all magnifications. Of the total viewed at low power, 18 (60%) were
normal, 11 (37%) revealed ridging and 1 (3%) revealed melting. Of the
total viewed at medium power, 14 (47%) were normal, 3 (10%) showed cr
acking, 2 (7%) showed melting or a combination of ridging and cracking
, and 11 (37%) showed ridging. At high power, 10 (34%) were normal, 11
(38%) revealed either melting or a combination of two defects, 5 (17%
) showed ridging, and 3 (10%) revealed cracking. Fifteen (50%) of the
samples revealed a surface abnormality (cracking or melting) other tha
n ridging. The majority of condoms viewed under scanning electron micr
oscopy revealed surface abnormalities. The implication of the detected
abnormalities needs further evaluations. While ridging may represent
a minor abnormality associated with condom handling, multiple abnormal
ities or melting may represent a more significant atypicality.