Sensational! Bill Gates Funds Skin-Like Condom That Could Actually Make Sex Feel Better

Bill Gates is putting his money where your pleasure is.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded $100,000 to the University of Wollongong in Australia to develop a condom with more sensation, according to a YouTube video the school posted on June 3.

Researchers are formulating an alternative to latex called a tough hydrogel. In the clip, Dr. Robert Gorkin, a biomedical engineer, explains the material is "made to act and feel more like real skin." Scientists say they hope a more natural feel will nudge more guys into using protection, and thus, prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of STDs worldwide.

The project could "truly improve the lives of many," Gorkin says. (Watch the footage above to get the details on the University of Wollongong's work.)

Gorkin told Business Insider Australia that his team hopes to change habits in places where protected sex is not perceived as a routine part of sexual health.

“It’s really about us challenging our own perceptions, particularly when developing new technologies to be deployed in places like sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia,” Gorkin said.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation named 11 condom research grant recipients in November. The tip-only condom that been making news lately was not one of them.