Condom history

Condoms are an important for birth control and disease prevention. Here's a timeline of their history thanks to ASHA:

1564: Gabriel Fallopius invents a linen sheath and tests it on 1100 men. The goal was to prevent syphilis, which proved successful! Having been found useful for prevention of infection, it was only later that the usefulness of the condom for the prevention of pregnancy was recognized.

1605: The first indication that these devices were used for birth control, rather than disease prevention, is the 1605 theological publication De iustitia et iure (On justice and law) by Catholic theologian Leonardus Lessius, who condemned them as immoral.

1700s: In addition to the linen sheaths already used, condoms made from animal intestines became available. However, they were quite expensive and the unfortunate result was that they were often reused.

1855: The first rubber condom was produced. The earliest rubber condoms had a seam and were as thick as a bicycle inner tube.

1920: Trojan brand condoms introduced, manufactured by Young’s Rubber of New York. Young's Rubber became the first company to produce a latex condom. Condoms made of latex, also invented in 1920, were both stronger and thinner than their rubber counterparts and also has a longer shelf life.

1950s: Two improvements are made to the condom: lubrication (DUREX instroduces the first lubricated condom) and the reservoir tip.

1975: While the National Association of Broadcasters Code of Conduct prohibited condoms ads on televison in the 1960s and 1970s, station KNTV in San Jose broadcast a carry a condom commercial for Trojan in 1975. The first broadcast TV network in this country to air a paid condom commercial was Fox in 1991.

1980: The emergence of HIV and the AIDS epidemic results in strong encouragement to use condoms. Latex condoms are promoted to prevent infection with HIV.

1993: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the female condom for use in the US. The female condom is a polyurethane (plastic) pouch that fits inside a woman's vagina.

Today: The U.S. Agency for International Development encourages condom use in developing countries to help solve the "world population crises. Worldwide condom use is expected to continue to grow. One study predicted that developing nations would need 18.6 billion condoms by 2015. Condoms have become an integral part of modern societies.

Did you know this is actually National Condom Month? It's true! I like the timeline and can't believe some of the things people did in days of yore to try and stay safe. I wonder if any of them really worked?