The History of Condoms

To contemporary society, the condom seems a comparatively modern invention brought into use to limit the size of families and for protection against sexually transmitted infections. In reality though they have actually been around since many centuries, even going back to ancient civilizations. Here is a short history of condoms and some interesting trivia about it relating to its evolution.

Antiquity to Middle Ages

The earliest recorded historical reference to the use of condoms  probably goes back to 1000 B.C. Cave paintings dating back to the year 200 A.D also depict condom use and is believed to be the earliest known visual evidence of their use. However archeologists and historian remain undivided on the earliest authentic historical mention of condom. According to some one of the earliest representations of condom is a painting in the French cave Grotte des Combarrelles - the paintings in this cave are believed to be 12,000–15,000 years old. While the year of the origin of condom may be a matter of dispute, so much is sure that condoms from this time were probably made of oiled silk paper, linen sheaths, leather, or very thin hollow horn. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all had limited families and this may indicate the use of some form of birth control. But this was generally regarded the woman’s responsibility and things such as pessaries, herbal concoctions as well as other ritualistic devices were used for contraception. Even if condoms existed, mention of their use is vague and veiled.

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With the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of condom was driven further underground. This was the time of the rise of the Catholic Church which expressly forbade all forms of birth control by the believers.

Renaissance to eighteenth century

It was only with the new wave of learning and experimentation ushered in by the Renaissance in Europe that the evolution of condom progressed further. Sometime in the sixteenth century, an Italian doctor by the name of Gabrielle Fallopius suggested that linen sheath condoms be used to protect against syphilis, a deadly epidemic at that time in history. Falloppio authored the earliest uncontested description of condom use in the tract De Morbo Gallico - translated as the "The French Disease", referring to syphilis – which was published in 1564, two years after Fallopio's death. In this tract, he recommended use of a device he claimed to have invented: linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry before use. Coincidentally, it was after this doctor that the female fallopian tube was named.

After the publication of De Morbo Gallico, mention of use of thin coverings of the penis as a device to protect from disease began to appear in a wide variety of literature throughout Europe. Eventually this predecessor to condom also began to be used for birth control, rather than disease prevention – evidence of this comes from the 1605 theological publication De iustitia et iure or On justice and law by Catholic theologian Leonardus Lessius in which such devices are condemned as immoral. The first explicit description that un petit linge - or ‘a small cloth’ in French - was being used to prevent pregnancy comes from a French novel and play titled L'Escole des Filles (The Philosophy of Girls) produced in 1655. One of the most famous historical figures to have mentioned condoms in his writings is the Giacomo Casanova who in sixteenth century was using condom made from sheep-gut as a contraceptive as well as protection against stds.

How did the condom get its name?

Historical reports from around this time mention that farmers in Condom, France began using sheep guts as condoms, and this was most likely the origin of the lambskin condom. While the name of this French region may have been the reason why the male barrier-based contraceptive was so named, an historical anecdote suggests another source. Allegedly, the name "condom" was coined when the British monarch Charles II was given oiled sheep intestines to use as condoms by a Dr. Condom. However, some believe the name "condom" came from the Latin word "condus" which means "vessel". In 1666, the English Birth Rate Commission attributed a recent downward fertility rate to use of "condons" which is usually regarded as the first documented use of that word or one with a similar spelling.

Nineteenth century

This was the time when rapid progress in manufacturing and technology led to the next major step in the evolution of the condom – the use of rubber which is still used euphemistically for a condom. Condom manufacturing was revolutionized by the discovery of rubber vulcanization by Goodyear (founder of the tire company) and Hancock. This meant that it was possible to mass produce rubber goods including condoms quickly and cheaply. Vulcanization is a process, which turns the rubber into a strong elastic material. Male customers were told that these rubber condoms can be washed and reused until they crumbled.

In 1861, the first advertisement for condoms was published in an American newspaper when The New York Times printed an ad. For 'Dr. Power's French Preventatives.' however a backlash against such attempts at birth control soon followed with the passing of the Comstock Law in 1873. Named after Anthony Comstock, the Comstock Law made illegal the advertising of any sort of birth control, and it also allowed the postal service to confiscate condoms sold through the mail.

Twentieth century and after

Until the 1920s, most condoms were manufactured by hand-dipping from rubber cement. These kinds of condoms aged quickly and the quality was doubtful. But concerted technical innovation led to The introduction of latex in making of the condom. In 1919, Frederick Killian initiated hand-dipping from natural rubber latex in Ohio. As a result of the use of latex, condoms were now cheaper and disposable. This led to the birth of the single-use condom. By World War II, latex condoms are mass produced and given to troops all over the world.

Along with technical innovations, condom use received a boost in the form of legal changes as well. In 1918, just before the end of the First World war, an American court overturned a conviction against Margaret Sanger. In this case, the judge ruled that condoms could be legally advertised and sold for the prevention of disease. even though There were still a few state laws against buying and selling contraceptives, and advertising condoms as birth control devices remained illegal in over thirty states, still condoms began to be publicly and legally sold to Americans for the first time in forty-five years.

In the mid-twentieth century The latex condom is improved further by making them thinner and tighter. In 1957, the very first lubricated condom was launched in the UK by Durex and this gave a boost to the sales. Also, the reservoir tip was introduced that collected semen in the end, thus decreasing the risk of leakage and unintentional pregnancy. From the early 1960s, the use of condoms as a contraceptive device suffered some decline as the pill, the coil and sterilization became more popular. However the spread of HIV and AIDS in the 1980's brought back the focus on prevention and not merely contraception. Eventually condoms became part of mainstream social scene and available in pubs, bars, grocery stores and supermarkets.

Post-1990s have been a time of innovation to make the condom more appealing and even customized in various ways. The 1990s also saw the introduction of colored and flavored condoms. In 1994, the world's first polyurethane condom for men was launched in the US. At the same time The female condom was developed and was approved in 1993 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In more recent years, improved technology has enabled the thickness of the condom to decrease. Also, condom manufacturers have recognized that one size of condom does not fit all. Thus condoms can now be found in different shapes, widths and lengths. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an estimated 10.4 billion male condoms were used worldwide in 2005.