One of the most basic--and ancient--forms of birth control is the
condom. Utilized by all cultures for millennia, and referred to by
many colorful euphemisms, it has featured in the lives, loves, and
letters of some of the most famous men in history. Shakespeare,
Casanova, George Bernard Shaw, to mention only a few, all
appreciated and wrote about the importance of using
"preventatives." Aine Collier provides a unique glimpse into human
sexual habits, customs, beliefs, and attitudes in this first
history of the prophylactic device that goes back to at least the
ancient Egyptians. As she amply demonstrates, the story of this
humble piece of paraphernalia is full of intriguing insights into
human character with all its flaws and foibles as well as many
fascinating historical details:
- Clergymen of the Middle Ages left records of birth control
methods that "worked."
- Columbus's men returned from the New World infected with the
"Great Pox" (syphilis) leading to the rediscovery of the condom as
a disease preventative.
- Sixteenth-century Italian anatomist Gabriello Fallopio
(discoverer of the Fallopian tube) should be considered the father
of the modern condom; he was the first to add a pink ribbon to his
sheaths, a flourish that remained standard for centuries.
- When women had few choices in the world of commerce, a
significant number found a legitimate and profitable business niche
producing and selling sheaths.
- During the Great Depression, while other businesses went
bankrupt, condom manufacturers found themselves doing a booming
trade throughout the 1930s, one of Wall Street's few successes.
Sadly, it was cheaper to pay 25 cents for a rubber than to have
children.
- German gummis were acknowledged to be the finest in the world,
until the Nazis made them illegal, fearing Jewish doctors had
coerced innocent Germans into using them as birth control.
- AIDS has brought the condom full circle. Not for the first time
in history has the little device been vilified as a promoter of
dirty, illicit sex and lauded as a life-saving device.
Thoroughly researched yet presented in a witty, enjoyable style,
The Humble Little Condom is both an entertaining read and an
educational, impeccably researched popular history.
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