A Brief History of the Condom by Kathleen Bitner Roth

Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular first Tuesday blogger and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth! Today she's taking us on a fascinating little jaunt with the history of condoms!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONDOM

by Kathleen Bitner Roth

Condoms show up in contemporary romance novels these days as an integral part of the love scene. The term “No glove, no love,” seems to appear everywhere. As it turns out, my research on the condom indicates that we’ve been chanting little mantras like that for thousands of years.  

The Grotte des Combarrelles Caves in France have paintings on the walls dating back to 11,000 BC showing the use of condoms. As far back as the 1400’s the Chinese used condoms made of oiled silk paper or lamb intestines. In the 1500’s an Italian physician tested linen sheaths dried in chemicals on a few hundred men. Not one man tested contracted what was at the time a fatal disease. The good doctor pretty much saved the lives of those lusty Italian men at a time when syphilis ran rampant. 

Historians have come to the conclusion that even though condoms in one form or another have been in use for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the early 1600’s when people figured out that the condom not only prevented disease, it also prevented pregnancy. A Catholic theologian, Leonardus Lessius, condemned the condom as immoral, saying it not only prevented birth, it also encouraged men to become immoral—curiously, that debate goes on today in some churches and sectors.

Came the Renaissance and animal intestines and bladders treated with lye or sulpher were added to the linen variety which were treated with chemicals. This turned out to be much better than the Dutch who used leather condoms that covered the entire penis providing for little sensation. Or what about the Japanese who used animal horns over the glans? Ouch! 

At any rate, the argument that the use of condoms was immoral and sinful raged on while use of the condom grew in popularity. By the 1700’s, they came in various sizes and shapes and were being sold in pubs, theaters, markets and other public places throughout Europe and Russia. Unfortunately, they were often rinsed out and reused and oftentimes lent to a friend or two which did nothing to prevent the spread of disease. By the early 1800’s, for the first time, promotion of contraceptives to the lower classes took place.

Eventually, the use of the condom found its way to America, but they were expensive, so at first they were was used only by the upper class. More and more people began to advocate for birth control however, and in 1839 Charles Goodyear invented the rubber condom. It was thick and heavy at the time and didn’t provide for much sensation to the male, but it did prevent disease and pregnancy. 

Ironically, Feminists of this time period wholly disapproved of the condom. They wanted birth control to be organized and controlled only by women. Today, both partners are held responsible.

In the latter part of the 1800’s, the German military began promoting condom use for their soldiers.  In 1912 a German chemist, Dr. Fromm, developed a new method in the manufacture of the condom that gave it texture and was thin enough to give the male the best sensation of anything made to date. The condom he developed was called Fromm’s Act, and the product is still being manufactured. In fact, the brand is one of the most popular condom brands sold in Germany today.

Around 1920 the sales of condoms doubled worldwide, and in 1927, the American military began distributing condoms to soldiers as standard issue. Lo and behold, soldiers soon discovered many uses for the condom. They used them to cover rifle barrels and muzzles as a waterproofing method; they waterproofed underwater demolition with them and stored corrosive materials in them. 

In 1957 lubricated condoms came on the market. Until then, jelly products were used. When the AIDS epidemic hit in the 1980’s condom sales skyrocketed. Today, condoms are the most popular form of contraception and protection from sexually transmitted disease.

Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.

THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malvern series: When a proper Victorian miss awakens next to a handsome stranger, she must rely on the man's benevolence as she struggles to regain her memory and hold onto her heart. BUY LINK

PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY is book two in Those Magnificent Malvern series and is due to release in May 2016 (cover not yet available): A young widow returns to her childhood home after a forced absence and faces her first and only love, but despite their powerful attraction, danger compels her to remain his forbidden lady. 

CELINE, book one in the When a Heart Dares series, is on sale now! BUY LINK

Digging into the Mystery of History's Contraceptives & the Curse of Eve

***Warning, some vulgar words are used in this post --- not for the faint of heart or underage crowd***

Red dog on a white horse, Auth Flo, monthly courses, little visitor, Bloody Mary, indisposed, the rag, vapours, time of the month, cramps, collywobbles, period, menstruation, no matter how you put it they all mean the same thing and it ain’t pretty.

When you read a book the most information they give you is the female was indisposed, or she has her monthly courses. In the case of nobles, the ladies maid checked the sheets for spots of the stuff. King’s had spies that would check to see if his wife was bleeding…I sure wouldn’t want anyone spying on me during that time of the month.

They didn’t have tampons and maxi-pads back then either, so what did they use when the Curse of Eve was upon them?

This is where the term “on the rag,” comes from…women used to have strips of cloth rags they would use during menstruation to catch the fluids. It was pretty simple, and not much different than now. Commercial sanitary napkins didn’t come around until the late 1800’s.

Tampons have been around as a medical device since the 1800’s as well, but they were used to stop the bleeding from bullet wounds. It wasn’t until around 1930 that the applicator and string were attached and began being marketed for feminine use.

Also it has been noted in several places that women of the lower classes would use nothing, and one woman was even quoted as saying how disgusting it was to bleed into her chemise day after day. Needless to say, lots of strong perfumes were used…as bathing wasn’t a regular practice. (shudder...)

A period meant a woman was fertile, and that she was not currently with child. It was also considered very unsanitary, made worse by the church. A woman who was experiencing her collywobbles, was encouraged to keep to herself. Her husband would be warned to stay away from her and she was not aloud to attend church.

Now that we know a little bit about a woman’s indisposition, what types of methods were used to make sure she kept on having it? I’m talking about contraception.

The Pill wasn’t invented to stop pregnancy until 1960, and while we know coitus interuptus was evident even in biblical times, there had to be more than that right? Of course! We are sexual beings and if we can think up something to keep us doing it, you know we will!

As far back as 1550 BC, woman would mix together concoctions, soak a handful of wool, and then place it in the vulva, the mixture would be quite effective. Other various soaked sponges have been used throughout history as well. Pessaries of elephant and crocodile dung were introduced in the second century…there is no way I would have put animal feces near any part of my body…

Another popular pessary in Victorian times was the wooden block. Ouch! It had concave sides and was inserted into the vagina. However in the 1930’s it was condemned as an instrument of torture…uh, you think?

There were also various herbal remedies that could be used as a drink to prevent pregnancy or work somewhat like the morning after pill.

Moving on to penis protectors, you know the condom. Every thing from animal intestines and skins to fine linens and cloths have been used to cover it up. Many of these sheaths needed to be soaked before use. Casanova was famously known for using condoms. The name condom supposedly comes from a Dr. Condom, who used to make cloth sheaths for King Charles II, however many believe this to be false.

The first rubber condom was made in the 1850’s, hence the term “rubbers.”

So now that I’ve informed you of the various methods of birth control, I leave you with this…

Wiener wrap, French tickler, French letter, armour, roadblock, pecker pack, protection, cervical sponge, Dutch cap, love glove, jism jacket, cock sock, jolly bag, Mr. Happy’s business suit, nightcap, sheath, shag bag, raincoat, life saver…

*Not all of the words above were in use throughout history, however some were too weird, unusual or funny for me not to share with you.*