According to researchers, the first document mentioning condoms is around 11,000 BC in France.
Cave paintings or drawings discovered in the town of Combarelles, France, depict a man wearing a condom-like device during sex. This is said to be the first condom in the world , proving that since ancient times people have known how to prevent pregnancy.
Next, researchers noted that King Minos of Crete used condoms around 3,000 BC. At that time people used linen bags soaked in chemicals, dried…
By the time of ancient Rome, people were more and more concerned about public health due to many diseases spreading. They use condoms made from the intestines of animals (goats, sheep) or linen to prevent sexual diseases such as syphilis…
Condoms made from animal intestines, early 19th century. (Photo: Esquire).
Condoms began to be widely sold in the late 18th century, with high prices. In 1855, American inventor Charles Goodyear successfully created a condom made of natural rubber. He heated sulfur and natural rubber to form a malleable material with high elasticity and strength. From the 14th century, the upper classes used “glans condoms”, which were head coverings. penis. The Chinese use materials from oily tissue paper or sheep intestines, while the Japanese choose harder materials such as turtle shells or animal horns.
According to Charles Goodyear, this condom is quite thick as the thickness of the inner tube of a bicycle, safe because it is less likely to break. In particular, after use can be washed and reused until the bag is damaged.
Charles Goodyear, inventor of the natural latex condom. (Photo: Esquire).
In 1873, the Cornstock Law prohibited the sale of condoms by mail and also prevented public advertising of contraceptives. Bringing many benefits, but for the ancients, using condoms is not normal. They believe that only unfaithful men who do not want to have children use condoms. Initially, this tool was only popular among the upper class and had to be used over and over again.
During World War I, the Germans used condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The US and British militaries do not use condoms, more than hundreds of thousands of soldiers contract syphilis and gonorrhea. In 1918, the ban on advertising condoms was lifted. Condoms are legally allowed to be advertised and sold as a method of preventing the spread of disease. However, advertising or selling for birth control purposes is not permitted.
In the 1920s, scientist Frederick Killian invented latex or latex. This is the ideal material for making condoms because it is thinner than rubber, does not age quickly and is relatively odorless. Latex condoms are cheap and quick to produce per hour, lubricated with spermicide and even flavored. In a 1965 survey, about 42% of adults used condoms during sex and 60% of couples used condoms to prevent pregnancy.
Testing condoms in 1990. (Photo: Esquire).
In 2014, the world’s thinnest condom made from polyurethane was released with a thickness of 0.01 mm, 6 times thinner than a human hair. This bag is only sold in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, researchers continue to improve condoms with a thickness of 0.009 mm and a thickness of 0.008 mm. In the 1980s, when the HIV/AIDS pandemic broke out, condoms were considered an important solution to care. and protect your health during sex. Scientists continue to invent many types of condoms such as materials, flavors, thicknesses, sizes … to meet the needs of men.
By 2015, about 18 billion condoms were used worldwide.