The History of Condoms

Rubbers, Johnnies, Sheaths, Love Gloves... Whatever you call them, and whether you like them or not you have to admit condoms are an essential part of fucking today, not only for protecting from unwanted pregnancy, but also for preventing sexually transmitted diseases. But that humble little rolled up latex lover we all know and (kinda) love has come a long way from where it began!

Ancient Beginnings

People are often surprised to learn that condom or sheath use is actually really, really old. Like ancient! But just how ancient, and what their actual purpose was back then is often down to interpretation.

For example, while there are some cave paintings in France from around 15,000 BC that look like they may depict a man wearing something over his penis during sex, some archaeologists and anthropologists have shunned this idea, stating it is more likely to be more a porn-y, phallic type of picture more than a depiction of safe sex practices. Among historians it is mostly believed that the first condoms were used by Ancient Egyptians over 3000 years ago. There are not only hieroglyphics showing sheathed men, there's even what's believed to be one displayed in King Tutankhamen's exhibit in the Cairo museum. It’s a sort of fine linen sheath shaped a bit like a “sock” with ties on it, but the jury is still out on whether or not this was an item used for ritualistic and ceremonial purposes, or if it was to prevent pregnancy and other sexual side effects. But, according to the hieroglyphic records there were not only a lot of them, worn by different people, they were also often made with bright and colourful materials and shown off to the people around you. 

Capping it Off

In the 1400s in Asia, if you were part of the upper class demographic you may well have used what is usually referred to as a glans condom, meaning it was a little cap sort of thing that sat over the glans (head) of the penis. In China these were usually made from oiled silk paper or animal intestine, but in Japan they were a lot more rigid, being made of animal horn or tortoise shell. These were not made, as they say, “for her pleasure” and they would often slip off and get lodged inside the vagina, causing all sorts of damage, discomfort, and pain.

Bit of Italian Sausage

Probably the first published information about condoms and their use comes from an Italian guy called Fallopio (yes, the same dude Fallopian tubes are named for) in 1594. Around this time in history one of the most common and most horrible diseases around was syphilis. A nasty, debilitating, and fatal sexually transmitted disease that completely rots through your body and brain til you quite literally go mad and die with oozing welts and sores on your bits. Fun huh!

Well this guy had had enough and, in the mid 1500s, decided to do something about it (cross your legs a bit for this one, guys). Basically he designed a thin linen sheath, soaked in a chemical solution, that tied to your body with a ribbon, and also (here’s the leg crossing bit) a small linen tube that was apparently (I say apparently because there is very little information about this and it could possibly be not true) inserted into the urethra while you wore the sheath. Look, it sounds utterly medieval, and it almost literally was, but he went out and tested this invention on over 1000 men, and none of them, not a single one, ended up with the disease so it wasn’t all bad at all and made the popularity of linen condoms soar!

Bit of Actual Sausage!

In the 1600’s condoms made from sheep intestines started to appear in Europe, with one actually being found, intact, in a medieval toilet in England that dates back to around 1642! They proved to be so successful that King Charles I reportedly handed them out to his troops to stop them from picking up disease or causing pregnancy when they were out fighting in the English Civil War.

While they were popular and used a lot, they weren’t cheap, so that meant they were often cleaned out and re-used over a long period of time. Users were encouraged to blow them up first to see if they were safe and intact and there are even pictures of famous womaniser Casanova doing precisely that. They weren't very comfortable, though, and were often described as “An armour against pleasure.” Apparently the Romans used a similar device, although it is thought (well, it is mythologised) they used the intestines of their enemies and I’ve gotta say, that’s way hardcore.

Twas a Good Year

In the late 1800's American rubber manufacturers Goodyear and Hancock started using vulcanised rubber to make condoms and took the sex world by storm! These condoms were very thick (kind of like a bike inner tube) and were reusable just like the ones made out of intestines. They weren’t particularly comfortable, though, and while a bit safer and less prone to breakages than their predecessors, they weren’t perfect.

In the 1890s the Australian branch of Dunlop Rubber began to produce rubber condoms in Melbourne, but unfortunately the chairman, who just happened to be a devout Catholic, decided they were immoral and ordered the business to stop making them.  A young man working for Dunlop, Eric Ansell, saw the condom making machines being taken away and offered to buy them. With $60 to his name, Ansell quit working for Dunlop and began the company Ansell Rubber (which is probably one of the largest condom manufacturers in the world today). In an ironic twist, Dunlop ended up buying Ansell in 1969.

In 1912, Julius Fromm, a German chemist invented the technique called “cement dipping” in which glass moulds were dipped into rubber, making it really easy to begin mass producing condoms to the public. Even though there were the obvious and usual religious and moral crusaders, and they were not allowed to be advertised, they became incredibly popular and very sought after.

The War on Sex

World War One was a pretty horrific war, both on the battlefields and for the rise and spread of diseases like syphilis and gonorrhoea as the troops went in and out of various places and people. The German soldiers were all given free condoms by the people in charge, but the British and American soldiers were not, citing that giving out condoms would promote promiscuity and loose morals… But really, all that did was mean that around 5% of the British Army (which doesn’t sound like a lot until you realise there was around 4 million British and Empire troops back then) was hospitalised with these diseases (around 400,000 individual cases) which then put them out of fighting action for up to 5 weeks. In 1917 the British government decided to change its mind and started giving the soldiers condoms which fixed the problem considerably. The Americans, on the other hand, did not, deciding to distribute the “Doughboy Prophylactic Kit” instead which wasn’t condoms as such, but rather chemicals and cloths etc used to clean and disinfect the area (and inject inside the urethra… ouch again). They were, as you could imagine, far less effective than the condoms the troops from other countries were given and by World War Two the Americans figured that out and joined the condom club. Just as an aside, while yes we do call condoms prophylactics it’s actually just a word that means “a protective measure against disease” so while yes, condoms ARE prophylactics, not all prophylactics are condoms.

Latex Love!

All hail the condom saviour, Frederick Killian. In 1919 this awesome human began to use latex to make condoms and, by the mid 1930s, latex condoms became the number one product made from the material. They were durable, disposable, scentless, easy to use and cheap to manufacture. Around the 1920s processes of quality control were added to the manufacturing of condoms, with air and other tests being used to check for holes and, if products didn’t pass the test… Well they were just sold as a cheaper brand. Thank goodness we have slighty better quality control and safety regulations these days, huh.

Right Here Right Now

Today condoms have evolved into one of the most popular and effective forms of birth control and have also evolved in some ways to become an enjoyable and erotic companion to your sex life. They come in all kinds of sizes and material thicknesses, there are different colours and styles, and they can include all sorts of horny extras like flavours, warming, cooling, and sensation gels, ribbing (for her pleasure) and even little buzzing devices to tingle and tease your bits. They are around 98% effective in stopping pregnancy and a whole bunch of STIs, and are absolutely an essential part of any sexual play. There are condoms for women both for internal (femidom) and external (dam) play, and there is also a huge increase in condoms made of non latex materials for those who may have allergies or sensitivities to that material.

Seriously, they are incredible inventions, and when you think about what some men and women have gone through in the past to make their futures STD and baby free, you might not be so quick to complain the next time she says “If it's not on it's not on.”

3 comments

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• 

  Leatherz

  More than a month ago

  Oh Eva, you've done it again!
  Love your writings and this was most interesting with excellent research.
  We would have loved to hear about female condoms or femidoms and also about latex condom pants/hoods/cstsuits which combine the
  love of rubber with serious protection against all STIs. We do however realise the size of article and restrictions may have limited .
  My gosh Eva you'll be fun to have over for a dinner party!
  Thank you for a wonderful article.
  The Leathers x

  Reply
• 

  Totals

  More than a month ago

  Hi Eva another great article... I remember as a young boy aged 13, I used to go into the pharmacy (in those days it was the only way to buy them) and buy them on behalf of the older guys.
  I was at an age that I hadn’t been exposed to any sexual activity, except the odd stiffy... ignorance is a bliss

  Reply
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  Dony401

  More than a month ago

  In my younger days, they were calling Frangers

  Reply