Canada will fund clinical trials of an "invisible condom," a liquid applied to the genitals, to prevent HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, Health Minister Allan Rock said on Friday.

The Infectious Diseases Research Centre at Laval University in Quebec City will receive C$350,000 ($235,000) to test the treatment, which has been developed over seven years by Laval researchers.

The new "invisible condom," a non-toxic polymer-based liquid, is applied to a woman's genitals before sexual intercourse and transforms into a gel at body temperature.

Laval said tests showed the gel forms a waterproof film that dramatically reduces transmission of the HIV virus responsible for AIDS, and could also block the virus responsible for genital herpes. It can also be used as a contraceptive.