The oldest condoms were found in the foundations of Dudley Castle near Birmingham, England. They were made of fish and animal intestine and dated back to 1640. They were probably used to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections during the war between the forces of Oliver Cromwell and soldiers loyal to King Charles I. Historians disagree about how condoms got their name. In the 18th century, the famous womanizer, Casanova, wore condoms made of linen. Rubber condoms were mass-produced after 1844, when Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanization of rubber, which he invented five years earlier.
Condoms made of sheep's intestines are still available.
They are now disposable and should only be used once. The American Social Hygiene Association fought hard to prohibit condom use in the early part of this century. The American Expeditionary Forces, as our army was called, were the only armed forces in Europe during the war who were denied the use of condoms. It was a young Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, when his boss was away from the office, ordered the distribution of prophylactic kits to cure infections that condoms could have prevented. One of the challenges that Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, faced as she fought for women's right to use birth control was the double standard regarding condom use.