Condoms and contraception

Lawrence, Ghislaine

Condoms and contraception

Resource type

Journal article

Creator (person)

Lawrence, Ghislaine

Date published

July 2002

Abstract

The origins of condoms are obscure, but one thing is clear—the medical profession took little interest in them until modern times. What we know of condoms before the 20th century comes largely from literature. James Boswell related how he enjoyed prostitutes while “clad in armour” and Casanova told of his distaste for being shrouded in “dead skin”—condoms used to be made from lamb's intestines. Equipped with a ribbon for tying in place, such items were luxury goods, and were worn for protection against sexually transmitted diseases, rather than for contraception.