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Through use of a new bacteriophage assay capable of detecting a single viral plaque-forming unit (PFU), viral leakage through multiple replicates of several types of latex condoms has been evaluated. Stocks were used that had been preserved from a previous large study in which viral leakage had been assessed preliminarily in several brands. In the present research, much larger numbers of replicates--on the order of magnitude of 100 condoms per brand--were used. Leakage was demonstrated in single production lots of each of seven brands of condoms. With one notable exception, percent leakage ranged from 0.9 to 22.8%; 100% of the specimens of one profoundly flawed brand leaked. All test condoms were subjected to conditions intended to model these prevailing during coitus. Because the condoms used in this study were aged, current stocks of two widely sold brands were tested for comparison. Of these, 11.8% of one brand leaked, 25.7% of the other. The relevance of the results, which gave a high, albeit physiologically appropriate, challenge to the test brands, is discussed--so too is the significance to condom users of results deriving from a leakage assay of exquisitely high sensitivity.

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