What was the first condom brand?

Until now, many materials have been used in condoms. Before the 19th century, chemically treated linen and animal tissue (bowel or bladder) were the most common materials in condoms. Rubber condoms gained popularity in the mid-19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were great developments in manufacturing techniques. Before birth control pills, condoms were the most common birth control method in the Western world.

In the second half of the 20th century, the low cost of condoms allowed them to take an important place in family planning programs. In addition, condoms have become increasingly important in fighting the AIDS epidemic.

History of the condom

The ancient Egyptians used a mixture of acacia leaves, honey, and lint as a plug inside the vagina to keep out unwanted sperm. In ancient Greece, the plant silphium (aka Laserwort) became so popular as a birth control method that the plant became extinct in Greece.

Syphilis, one of the deadliest sexually transmitted diseases in human history, appeared in French soldiers at the end of the 15th century. Spreading in Europe, syphilis later spread to China and left an impact strong enough to destroy even the country's largest settlements. During this period, the Chinese began to use condoms made of silk paper or lamb's intestines.

In the 16th century in Italy, Gabriele Falloppio first officially published a condom recipe. According to this, linen covers were dipped in a chemical solution and after drying, they were used by men during sexual intercourse. The purpose of making such a recipe in this period was to try to prevent syphilis, which they called the French disease.

During the Renaissance, the use of condoms called penile covers, became widespread all over Europe. Condoms were made from animal intestines and bladders. It is even thought that these products first appeared in the 13th century. In an English toilet dating from 1640, we encounter a condom thought to have been used by the soldiers of King Charles I. Unlike the Chinese used, this product covered the entire penis, not just the head.

Famous playboy Casanova wrote that a lambskin condom was used in the 1700s. It was illegal to promote birth control in the Victorian Age. But in the 1920s, British activist Marie Stopes broke this societal barrier by portraying birth control as a medical function rather than a moral one. Stopes opened a pioneering contraceptive clinic that advised women and specifically showed them how to use the cervical cap.

We come across some documents showing the use of condoms by American soldiers during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century. During this period, anti-condom voices were rising in Europe. Many people had forgotten that they were about to die of syphilis a few years ago and began to say that this product led to immorality. However, in many countries, including Russia, this product was sold in many places to protect it from sexually transmitted diseases.

At the beginning of the 19th century, there was real enlightenment in the United States, and doctors began going door-to-door educating people about sexual health. A breakthrough in the condom, which is seen as the most effective method of protection from many sexually transmitted diseases, most of which are lethal, was made when Charles Goodyear patented rubber.

The first rubber condom was produced in 1855. However, this product is only attached to the head of the penis and since there is no mass-production product, everyone had to order something suitable for their size. These products, which are used repeatedly, have been used by people for many years, although they are not as hygienic as today.

The period up to the First World War is a bit strange. On the one hand, the US Federal Law prevented the introduction of birth control methods, condom factories were preparing for mass production, on the other hand, it was revealed that 400,000 soldiers in the US Army had syphilis and gonorrhea. Even the sale of condoms in pharmacies was banned for a while.

Fortunately, some sane people realized that during the First World War, the soldiers were dispersed all over the world, where they were mainly with prostitutes in the region and how susceptible they were to contracting STDs, but at least the soldiers were allowed to use condoms.

During this period, the United States saw condoms as a kind of medicine that warded off disease. Some European countries, on the other hand, chose to ban all forms of contraception, using the dwindling population as an excuse. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was against this product because it reduced sexual pleasure. The number of those who opposed this product for moral and religious reasons was not small, but it was coming.

The production of condoms with latex, which is the main ingredient of the condoms used today, started in 1929 for the first time. The first Durex factory was opened during this period. The first automation attempts were made to accelerate the production process of latex condoms. Although full automation was started in 1950, even the first process presented a very successful model for mass production.

The Great Depression in the United States increased condom sales. According to experts, the public preferred to use condoms instead of falling into greater financial difficulties by having children. Of course, it goes without saying that in this period, many institutions, especially the church and the state, opposed birth control methods and tried to impose bans.

Then the Second World War began. Although Italy and Germany, which are ruled by dictatorships, banned birth control, it is known that 72 million condoms were used annually in Germany during this period. Until the 1970s, some concessions were made on condoms all over the world, and most of the bans against their use were lifted.