National Condom Day – February 14, 2025

History of National Condom Day

We observe National Condom Day during Condom Week in Condom Month in February. The day evolved from a series of efforts encouraging people to practice safe, healthy, and enjoyable sex. In 1978, students at the University of California in Berkeley organized National Condom Week. In the late 1980s, a support group was formed to promote safe sex practices and condom use during the H.I.V./AIDS pandemic.

The word ‘condom’ can be traced to three different origins. It is said to have originated from the Persian word ‘kemdu,’ which refers to storage which was a long piece of intestine, the Latin word ‘condus,’ meaning vessel, or after a doctor known as Colonel Condom, who invented a sheath made of the intestine of a lamb for King Charles II to stop him from having more illegitimate children.

Condoms have a long history from ancient times when people used animal skins and bladders — even tortoise shells — to protect themselves against venereal diseases. Ancient Egyptians wore sheaths to prevent the spread and transmission of bilharzia. The Romans used linen and the intestines or bladders of sheep or goats to protect the woman (not for pregnancy prevention). They were very interested in the effect it had on public health and the reduction in the spread of diseases. Modern condoms began when Charles Goodyear, an inventor, devised vulcanization, a process that transforms rubber into latex. In the late 18th century, the condom industry boomed, and condoms were sold wholesale for the first time. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the use of condoms.