The history of condoms. How and when was the first condom created?
d?
Condoms are products in the form of an elastic tube with one closed end. Its name comes from the French word meaning “protection”. There is also a second name — condom. In honor of Dr. Charles Condom, who in the 16th century created a similar remedy for the king himself, Henry VIII, from sheep intestines.
Contents of the article:
The cave paintings of the French cave Combarells, which are almost 15, 000 years old, are currently fighting for the right to be considered the ancestor of all condoms. However, many scientists do not want to unanimously recognize the image as a drawing of a condom. Therefore, officially the oldest condom that has survived to this day is a Swedish product from Lund. The date of its manufacture is considered to be 1640.
Condoms of the 15th century _XV
15th century conversations have been reliably described. Basically, they differed not only in the material of manufacture, but also in the shape. Thus, in Japan and some Asian countries, condoms were made to individual sizes from animals or shells, covering only the head of the penis. The most popular were Chinese goods. At least, Dutch merchants highly valued goods from this country. Condoms could be purchased from oiled silk paper or “leather.” Presumably, as the researchers say, it was intended for the internal organs of the animal (intestines and bladder). By the way, it was Chinese condoms that first began to cover a man’s entire penis, but we’ll talk about this function a little later.
Prohibitions
However, throughout their history, such wonderful products have been subjected to repeated persecution and bans. This was mainly due to the need to give women the opportunity to give birth more. This is due to the very high infant mortality rate until recent decades. Thus, the government and religion were on the side of unprotected sex and large families. Funds received from Flanders were declared sinful. As for sexually transmitted infections, inspiration, fidelity and abstinence were considered the main means of combating them.
The best advertisement is syphilis
However, as often happens, events intervene. Beginning in 1495, a syphilis epidemic swept across Europe. But it wasn”t just Europe that suffered. By 1505, the infection had reached China and devastated large swaths of territory. In our time, it”s difficult to imagine the scale of the disaster or even the nature of the disease. Contemporaries of the time, doctors from different countries, described the disease very similarly. The unfortunate patient”s body would be almost completely covered in pustules from the head and knees, the nose would fall off, and death could occur within a few months.
Nowadays, it”s virtually impossible to encounter cases with such a remarkable clinical diagnosis and such a high mortality rate. Nevertheless, it was the outbreak of the “French disease” (so-called syphilis) that inspired doctors to develop protection during sexual intercourse.
One of the most popular researchers of the time was Gabriel Foropia. He was a physician who specifically researched gynecological and obstetrical issues and was, in fact, an expert on the genitourinary system. Over 1, 000 male subjects used linen bags soaked in a special disinfectant solution. The results were impressive. Condoms enjoyed widespread popularity. Then, in 1605, he published his “Little Papers,” in which he first proclaimed their contraceptive, not just prophylactic, properties.
In the 1700s, condoms became widely used. However, not everyone had a positive opinion of them. For example, the British physician Turner argued that they merely provided an illusion of safety and promoted the practice of male intercourse. Finally, remember that condoms at that time weren”t necessarily 100 percent intact. They were sold at fairs and grocery stores, so quality control wasn”t an issue. And obviously, products with holes could simply be sold at a substantial discount rather than disposed of.
Read also: The History of Sodomy as a Sexual Behavior. Facts about its prevalence in Rus”
Sodomy is a historical hypernominal term used to describe various forms of sexual behavior. This term is often characterized by sexual.
First test
Interestingly, the first condom to be documented for integrity was the condom of the famous Giacomo Casanova, around 1774. He then tested the condom for strength to ensure it was safe for use. Incidentally, he favored leather condoms, and considered specially treated linen condoms offensive (and expensive for his compatriots). Incidentally, until the 19th century, this method of contraception was used primarily by the wealthy, and slightly more frequently by the educated middle class. But the poor and working class had never heard of them.
Firstly, they weren”t truly interested in birth control because they weren”t concerned about their children”s education or careers.
Secondly, they simply couldn”t afford such expensive products. After all, the price of a single condom could be 100 times higher than the cost of a local prostitute. Only when epidemics became sexually transmitted did people begin to think about ways to protect themselves. Propagandists and lecturers, educating the working class, began to appear one after another. In 1840, a special brochure was published in Great Britain, giving instructions for making condoms at home.
Condoms from A to Z. Types of condoms. History of creation | Theory
First rubber condom
1843 marked the discovery of vulcanization, and ten years later, technology made it possible to create the first rubber condoms. Indeed, at first, it was quite thick, which prevented full satisfaction. Moreover, it was made according to individual sizes and covered only the head of the penis. However, it was reusable. However, individual selection did not allow for widespread production. So, only the experience of the ancient Chinese came in handy. Condoms began to cover the entire penis and, therefore, have a universal size. Their sale was transferred to pharmacies. All this became a driving force against the growth of its popularity and the beginning of a war against moralists.
However, world wars and outbreaks of unpleasant diseases tipped the scales against its widespread use in the armed forces of many countries. Condoms were supplied not only for their intended purpose, but also in such quantities that soldiers began using them. Some extreme sports enthusiasts still remember their inventions. For example, they use them to store items that need to be kept dry (documents, matches, etc.).
Only after 1920 did it become mandatory to check the integrity and strength of each condom. This became possible thanks to the creation of production lines and partial automation of the production process. By the way, this same period is important for the invention of latex. And in the same year, condoms made from this material were released in the United States. They were much thinner and stronger than rubber. Moreover, they lasted for almost five years, rather than up to three months like older products. New condoms flooded the European market, but they were not cheap due to high shipping costs.
And finally Durex _-_Durex
Thirteen years later, the English Rubber Company allowed Europe to obtain latex condoms from a manufacturer called Durex. By the way, companies producing and selling condoms in the United States are among the few that not only survived, but thrived during the Great Scare.
Despite progress in creating other methods of protection against unwanted pregnancy, condoms remain one of the most universal methods of protection against sexually transmitted diseases. The next boom in their popularity occurred on July 3, 1981, when the New York Times published the first article about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, already in 1994 people did not pay much attention to this. This phenomenon is called “condom fatigue.” Psychologists argued that constant intimidation of the population with advertising does not contribute to romantic evenings and good entertainment. Therefore, advertisers began to create new, fun and even humorous images to promote their products.
Currently
Now manufacturers are trying to make their products as durable and thin as possible. For this, latex, polyurethane, AT-10 resin and even polysoprene are used. The thinnest polyurethane condoms have walls of 20 microns, which is not the limit. In addition, polyurethane condoms are less demanding on storage conditions, hypoallergenic and compatible with oil-based lubricants. However, many users note that they are less elastic and slip more often. Polyisoprene is a synthetic latex. Therefore, condoms made from it are designed to solve these two specified problems. They do not contain protein and are therefore not considered to cause allergies. However, they are more expensive. An interesting protection option are reusable condoms, which are discussed in detail in our article.
By the way, there are also female condoms. The latter has a similar shape, but is inserted into the vagina. Due to their low consumption, it is very inconvenient to “dress” them with long nails. However, these days, condoms obtained as a result of rape are in much greater demand. Although they do not harm women, they do harm and damage the rapist”s genitals. In addition, they protect the unfortunate woman from infection and allow the rapist to hide while experiencing pain. So we may be on the verge of the next condom consumer boom. Just now.
