Ah, the holidays! This time of year tends to be an occasion for gift giving and spending time with your loved ones. And in the spirit of giving gifts, it seems only right that we share these fun and interesting facts about condoms and birth control with you!
1. When it comes to HIV, using a condom makes sex 10,000 times safer than not using a condom.
Think about it – that’s a big number!
2. Condoms have been around for ages!
Scientists have traced condom use all the way back to 11,000 B.C. where paintings of a man using a condom were discovered on the wall of an ancient cave in France.
3. An average condom can hold a gallon of liquid.
It’s probably not a good idea to use one as a water bottle or anything, but it’s nice to know just how strong your contraception truly is!
4. The U.S. military uses condoms to stop bleeding, and to keep sand dirt out of the barrel of a gun.
And to think about how often condoms can be taken for granted!
5. Back in 1850 B.C., Ancient Egyptian women used to insert a concoction made of crocodile dung, honey and sodium carbonate into their vaginas to block and kill sperm.
All I can say about that is… wow! How did they even come up with that in the first place?
6. And if that wasn’t enough: As early as 1350 B.C., Ancient Egyptians were allegedly using condoms that were made from animal bladders or intestines.
Though that may sound crazy, there are actually lambskin condoms available for people who are allergic to latex (although these don’t prevent STDs). But still, for the people who complain that condoms take away the “feel” during sex, imagine how an animal bladder felt!
7. Male birth control might possibly be on the way.
Apparently, 2017 may mark a new birth control revolution: male birth control in the form of a non-hormonal gel. Hooray! Get ready, guys.
So now that you’ve seen some of the really crazy, surprising, or just plain silly facts about condoms and birth control from both the past and present, we hope you’ve been inspired enough to get some condoms of your own (really, take them, they’re free – from us to you!) And if all of our Ancient Egyptian stories have have gotten you interested in birth control, we can help direct you to your nearest clinic!