Deer Skin Prophylactic
date: label: date made
content: Mid-20th century
notes: label: Description
content: This cardboard box of Deer Skin Prophylactic condoms originally held three condoms. The image on the box depicts two deer with elongated horns leaping over what may be trees. In the bottom center of the box, text reads "DISEASE PREVENTIVE PROPHYLACTIC RUBBERS." One side of the box read "GUARANTEED FIVE YEARS" the other side reads "SOLD THRU DRUG STORES. FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES ONLY." The box, which originally sold for a dollar, included three condoms.
label: Description
content: In 1872, the Comstock Act had prohibited interstate commerce in obscene literature and immoral material. Condoms and other forms of birth control fell under the category of “immoral material.” As forbidden material, condoms were rarely advertised openly.
label: Description
content: However, during the early twentieth century, rising concerns about gonorrhea and syphilis led a growing number of public health advocates to call for condoms to be sold to prevent disease. In 1918, a court case in New York, (The People of the State of New York v Margaret H. Sanger) clarified that physicians could prescribe condoms to prevent disease. Named after Judge Frederick Crane who wrote the opinion in the case, the Crane decision opened the door for condom manufacturers to openly advertise and sell condoms, provided they were sold as a disease preventative.
label: Description
content: By selling their condoms only in drug stores, the manufacturers of Deer Skin Prophylactics were able to underscore the legitimacy of their product and to charge higher prices. The claim that the condoms were "triple tested" also reassured customers that the condoms had no rips or tears unlike cheaper condoms which were often sold on the street.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: associated subject; web subject
content: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Sex
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Birth Control/Contraception
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0871.73
label: accession number
content: 1983.0871
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0871.73
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Prophylactic
label: Object Name
content: contraceptive, condom
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 2 1/4 in x 7/8 in; 5.08 cm x 5.715 cm x 2.2225 cm