New boxers claim to protect men's modesty if they become aroused in public

As many a man - and definitely teenage boy - can attest, erections can come at the most inappropriate of moments.

Whether it’s at the supermarket till or when hosting an important meeting, being caught visibly aroused can be mortifying.

Now, US fashion designers have created a pair of boxers they claim will spare a man’s blushes and shield his manhood from view if he becomes excited.

Called ‘Bloxers’, the underwear will allow men to go about their lives without embarrassment, they say.

‘Our new product centers on keeping yourself or the men in your life from experiencing the negative effects of what is fundamentally a very good thing,’ the manufactures say. 

They cite Michelangelo’s statue of David, for which a fig leaf was created to cover his modesty when he was presented to Queen Victoria in 1857, as their inspiration.

Each pair of Bloxers contains an inbuilt ‘deflector shield’, essentially a large pocket that covers the crotch and conceals the erection.

‘The fabric, dubbed the “deflector shield” covers your crotch in its entirety...while deflecting to your chosen side,’ the manufacturers write on their website.

‘Go ahead, get happy, we have you covered.’

There are three alternatives, one for men whose manhood verges to the left when erect, another for those who swing to the right and ‘switch hitters’ – those who are somewhere in between.’

Made from 100 per cent cotton, they come in small, medium and large and in grey, black and white.

The designers, from Washington DC, have set up a crowdfunding page on Indiegogo in order to raise $20,000 to develop the underwear.

Their goal is to raise $30,000 in order to launch their first collection and set up an online store.

With plans to raise up to $200,000, they hope to launch more patterns, a swimsuit collection and even create customised patterned version.

Ultimately, they want to open ‘Bloxers HQ’ and say it will come with 'candy in reception'.

A quarter of the profits will be donated to The Movember Foundation, which fundraises for research into prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.

So far, the Bloxers team have raised about 7 percent of their $20,000 goal.

As an incentive, those who donate $20 will be given a pair of Bloxers, $200 will win them dinner with the founders and those who donate $3,000 will be whisked away on a romantic trip to London to see the fig leaf that inspired the product.

The product comes after last year a Russian company called Ali Kaps launched Hiders – speedo style underwear with a reinforced pouch.

The padded cup preserves a man’s modesty.