A Brief History of Condoms

The first ever pioneer, modern brand of condom in use by modern society is Germany’s Fromm’s Act. The brand was started in 1912 when German manufacturer and innovator Julius Fromm developed a modern manufacturing process that would make condoms attractive and usable. Fromms dipped glass molds into rubber solutions. This technique had helped make the production of very thin condoms without seams possible. By 1930s, manufacturing of condoms further improved and single-use condoms became more popular.

Long before Fromm entered into the scene, historians and researchers assert that the use of condoms probably has been in place for close to 3,000 years already. A ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics show a figure of an Egyptian male wearing a device around the penis to help prevent pregnancy during intercourse. Up to now, historians are still debating on whether the condom was used by the Egyptian for ritual purposes.

In Italy during the 16th century, scientist Gabriele Fallopio recommended using cloth sheaths as contraceptives. The sheaths needed to be soaked in a chemical solution before being dried and worn during an intimate intercourse. The account of Mr. Fallopio is the first known description ever published about the use of condoms for disease prevention and contraception.

The oldest and most ancient form of condoms ever found was discovered in England, in the Dudley Castle. The old condom was made up of animal intestine. Historians and researchers attest that the condoms were used to help prevent the spread of known sexually transmitted diseases of those times. In the 19th century, it was found that in Japan, condoms were made of leather and pliable tortoise shell. The Japanese also used softened animal horns as a form of improvised condoms.

When its comes to the use of rubber latex for the manufacturing of condoms, the idea was started by Charles Goodyear. The year was 1844 and the process was initially called rubber vulcanization. The first ever condom made of rubber was effectively and appropriately produced in 1855. Those early condoms by Goodyear were very much reusable, but the tag prices are astronomically high.

In the United States, one of the most important markets for condoms, the sale and distribution of condoms were made possible only in 1936. In the year, the US Supreme Court lifted the implementation of the anti-contraceptive legislation called the Comstock Act, which was executed in 1873.

During World War I, US soldiers were not advised to wear condoms when having sexual affairs with women in the countries where they are based. As a result, a significant number of the soldiers were infected with sexually transmitted diseases. During World War II, the US government had learned its lesson. US soldiers were advised to use condoms for protection and overall safety when getting involved in sexual acts with local women.

Nowadays, there are over 6 billion condoms manufactured and sold every year. Now that they have gained social recognition as a powerful and important tool in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, condoms continue to expand in the global market as new styles, innovations and features are created. It’s safe to say that the condom has a bright and colorful future ahead.