10. They were originally meant to battle syphilis, not prevent pregnancies.
9. The oldest condom ever seen used was in Sweden and it was made out of pig intestines. And guess what, it was reusable.
8. In 1928 you had to get a prescription to buy a condom, and in order to get a prescription, you had to be having sex with prostitutes.
7. The first condom was discovered in a Cave in France. The country was known as the place for Syphilis.
6. Different countries used different materials, for example, the Japanese at one time used tortoise shell as the material for a condom.
5. The cost of condoms was high. It would cost some as much as their salaries of a few months to purchase the item.
4. They replaced weasel testicles. Yes, weasel testicles and an amputated feet were used as contraceptives in the medieval times. We don’t know how effective they were but that was the belief.
3. They have other uses aside from sex. Soldiers use them to protect their rifles from water damage.
2. In India, they were used for paving roads. The condoms were mixed with concrete and asphalt, in order to make the road smoother and prevent cracks.
1. In ancient times women in Asia drank mercury in order to prevent pregnancy. The result was either death or becoming sterile.
Photos Courtesy of:
Condom©Victor/Flickr
Preservativos ou condóns©Certo Xornal/Flickr