Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Condoms... But Were Afraid To Ask

A Brief History of the Condom..

     The condom is one of the oldest forms of contraception.  Its use can be traced back thousands of years, where it is believed that a form of the modern day condom was used by Egyptians as far back as 1,000 B.C.
      The first known published description and trials regarding prophylactic condom use were recorded by the italian Gabrielle Fallopius in the 1500's.  He claimed to have invented a sheath made of linen and conducted trials amongst 1,100 men using the condom - none of who became infected with syphillis.
      The origin of the word condom is still unkown.  Folklore attributes the invention to Dr. Condom or Conton, who was the court of King Charles II in the early 1600's.  It is more likely, however, that the name derives from the latin "condus", meaning receptacle.
      The condom, made of animal gut, became well known and increased in popularity in the 1700's.  Literature of that time suggests that the condom's contraceptive (rather than just prophylatic) properties had already been realised.  By 1766 many shops were producing handbills and advertisements.
      Japenese are known to have used two types of condoms.  The "kwagata" or "kyotai" was made of thin leather and the "kabutogata" was made of tortoiseshell or horn.
      Documentation also suggests that legendary 19th Century lover Casanova was a regular user of this type of contraception.  He referred to condoms as "riding coats".
     The rubber condom was developed shortly after the creation of vulcanized rubber in the 1840's, by Goodyear and Hancock.  Vulcanisation is the method or process or treating crude rubber with sulphur and subjecting it to intense heat.  The process turns rubber into a strong elastic material.
      In the 1930's liquid latex manufacturing superseded crepe rubber.  It is still the basis for manufacture today.

Condoms and Their Use in Preventing HIV infection and Other STD's
     With more than 1 million Americans with HIV, most of them through sexual transmissions, and an estimated 12 million other sexually transmitted diseases occuring each year in the United States, effective strategies for preventing these diseases are critical.
      The proper consistent use of latex condoms when engaging in sexual intercourse - vaginal, anal, or oral - can greatly reduce a person's risk of aquiring or transmitting STD's including HIV infection.  In fact, recent studies provide compelling evidence that latex condoms are highly effective in protecting against HIV infection when used properly for every act of intercourse.

     Latex condoms are highly effective when used consistently and correctly - new studies provide additional evidence that condoms work.

    The protection that proper use of latex condoms provides against HIV transmission is most evident from studies of couples in which one member is infected with HIV and the other is not, ie, "discordant couples".  In a study of discordant couples in Europe, among 123 couples who reported consistent condom use, none of the uninfected partners became infected.  In contrast, among the 122 couples who used condoms inconsistently, 12 of the uninfected partners became infected.