Condoms, those indispensable. History, rarities and benefits

Condoms, those indispensable elements.... almost goes without saying that the condom, condom, prophylactic (call it what you like) is an element essential in sexual relations. Whether to prevent the spread of venereal diseases or to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The importance of their correct use cannot be overemphasised, so we will give just these three facts:

• Condoms have prevented 50,000,000 HIV (AIDS) infections.
• Between 6,000,000,000,000 and 9,000,000,000,000 condoms are sold worldwide each year.
• The condom is included in the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines.

Its already very long existence is full of curiosities and changing circumstances. It was as much a rarity as an indispensable implement, or an unnatural depravity (as at the time of the Spanish Inquisition). It has passed through all considerations throughout history. But today it is unsustitutable, even in the relationships with escorts.

Pharaonic condom

The oldest condom known to date was found in none other than the mythical tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. It is said to be 3,500 years old and can be seen in the Cairo Museum. It is a mystery whether it was used for birth control or not, as the ancient Egyptians were a people who encouraged fertility, and even had a God of reproduction. It was Min or Menu, always depicted with a large erect penis. His cult dates back to pre-dynastic Egyptian times, but by the golden age of the empire his powers were attributed to another god, Amun-Ra.

That is to say that in those ancient times, no one imagined that those rare gadgets, prophylactics or condoms, would be irreplaceable in sexual relations.

Condoms not yet essential, in evidence

The first description of a condom was published in 1564 by Gabriello Fallopio, an anatomist known for describing the Fallopian tubes.

Centuries before condoms became those indispensable items that are now irreplaceable, this scientist spoke of a linen sheath that was used to prevent the spread of syphilis. He claimed to have tested the invention on 1100 men, who obtained absolute protection against syphilis, which was epidemic throughout Europe in that century. But there is no evidence for this fact, which many consider to be false.

Trap condoms for rapists 

Sometimes condoms, those indispensable items of protection, were not only intended as a safeguard against disease. The "anti-rape condom" was designed in 2010 by a South African doctor named Sonnet Ehlers. After treating a recently raped victim, she heard her say: "I wish I had teeth down there...". And she came up with the idea of creating a kind of latex sheath with hooks inside. It is inserted into the vagina like a tampon.

In case of unwanted penetration, the offender's penis is trapped by this "toothed" surface and causes the rapist great pain. And as long as this condom is clinging to the member, he cannot even urinate. It will have to be removed with a light surgery, which will force him to go to a medical centre, and there he will be trapped. The invention, which has yet to be further developed and is not yet for sale, has been christened the "Rape-aXe. It is still widely disputed by specialists, who claim that it causes psychological harm to those it is intended to protect.

Condom by (false) name

The first use of the condom for contraceptive purposes was said to have been prescribed by a supposed Lord Condom. He was, perhaps, a physician to Charles II of England, who may have invented it in the mid-17th century to neutralise the disasters of the monarch, who was filling London and the whole kingdom with bastard children. But a famed expert in sexual health and contraception, the American Norman E. Himes, after decades of research, was able to find a way to neutralise it. Himes, after decades of research, was able to determine in the first half of the last century that it was all a hoax. Prophylactics or condoms were not yet irreplaceable in sexual relations.

In the 18th century, the famous writer Giacomo Casanova, known for his amorous conquests and who gave his surname to refer to any great seducer, often mentioned condoms in his memoirs.

Old-fashioned "green" condoms

The earliest known Western condoms were made of greased lamb or pig intestines, and had a string to fasten it to the penis. Condoms were not today's must-have items. A few have survived, dating from 1813, found in Lund, Switzerland. The oldest of them all came with an instruction manual in Latin, which recommended soaking it in warm milk before use. According to the instructions, this would prevent sexually transmitted diseases.  

Condoms of the future

Similarly, the prophylactic was not in mass use until the invention of rubber vulcanisation in the mid-19th century. From then on, latex prophylactics were mass-produced at a much lower cost. Today there is considerable investment in making them cheaper and more sensitive. Or to impregnate them with spermicidal substances, and create new prototypes of female prophylactics. Of course, the United Nations, through the World Health Organisation, emphasises what it believes is most important: that they should be used much more, especially in populations still highly exposed to AIDS. For example, in Africa.

Meanwhile, researchers from the MIT developed a hydrogel that could be used to make condoms safer and more comfortable.

They explained that the method consists of adding a layer of hydrogel (a polymer that contains a large amount of water and is soft) to the different elastic materials that make up the product, such as rubber, latex and silicone. And medicinal substances can be added to the hydrogel, such as anti-allergens, for example.

This will surely be the future of prophylactics or condoms, which are irreplaceable in sexual relations.