The First Known Condom Was Made from Linen

In the mid-16th century, Europe was in the grip of a devastating syphilis epidemic. In response, Italian anatomist Gabriele Falloppio proposed a novel solution in his 1564 treatise, "De Morbo Gallico" or "The French Disease." He described a small, custom-fit linen sheath designed to cover only the head of the penis, which was then soaked in a chemical solution and tied on with a ribbon. Falloppio reported that he had conducted an experimental trial of his invention on 1100 men, claiming none of them contracted the illness, marking the first documented clinical trial of a device for disease prevention.

While Falloppio's linen sheath is the earliest uncontested written description of such a device, the use of barrier methods dates back even further. For centuries, condoms were fashioned from a variety of materials, including the bladders and intestines of animals like sheep. In Asia, people used glans condoms made from oiled silk paper or even tortoise shell and animal horn. The oldest condoms ever discovered archaeologically were found in an English castle and date back to as early as 1642; these were made from animal membranes. These early condoms, often expensive and sometimes reusable, were the primary option until the manufacturing of rubber condoms began in the mid-1800s, completely transforming accessibility and use.