Ancient Condoms Were Made From Animal Guts and Linen

Long before the latex revolution, humanity got pretty creative with contraception and disease prevention. For centuries, the go-to materials for condoms were animal intestines—particularly from sheep, goats, and calves—and chemically-treated linen. These weren't just theoretical designs, either. The oldest condoms ever excavated were found in a sealed latrine at Dudley Castle near Birmingham, England, dating back to 1642. Ten shaped animal membranes were discovered, with five showing signs of use and the rest found nested inside each other, unused and waiting.

The Linen Option: Falloppio's Chemical Solution

In 16th-century Italy, anatomist Gabriele Falloppio (yes, the guy the fallopian tubes are named after) recommended linen sheaths as protection against syphilis. His method involved soaking the linen in a chemical solution, then allowing it to dry before use. Falloppio claimed to have tested his design on 1,100 men and reported that none contracted the disease—an impressive early clinical trial, if his numbers are to be believed.

But linen condoms had their downsides. They were expensive to produce and considered less comfortable than their animal-based competitors. By around 1800, linen condoms had fallen out of favor entirely, and production ceased.

Animal Intestines: The Dominant Technology

From ancient Rome through the mid-1800s, animal intestines and bladders were the material of choice. The process involved softening the tissue with treatments like sulfur and lye to make them pliable. Romans used bladders from sheep and goats primarily for public health, aiming to prevent venereal diseases like syphilis, though they didn't initially recognize the contraceptive benefits.

During the English Civil War, condoms made from fish, cattle, and sheep intestine were actually deployed to the army specifically to reduce syphilis transmission among troops. This wasn't just folk medicine—it was military strategy.

The popularity of "skin" condoms (as the intestine and bladder varieties were called) persisted because they were:

• More affordable than linen alternatives
• Considered more comfortable to wear
• Effective enough for disease prevention
• Readily available from livestock already being slaughtered

Global Variations

Different cultures developed their own approaches. In China, condoms were crafted from lamb intestines or oiled silk paper. Japanese innovators went in a completely different direction, using materials like tortoise shells and animal horns—which sounds spectacularly uncomfortable but apparently served a purpose.

The animal intestine era finally came to an end in the mid-19th century when Charles Goodyear vulcanized rubber in 1839. Rubber condoms were cheaper to mass-produce, more reliable, and didn't require harvesting intestines from livestock. By the early 1900s, latex condoms had become the standard, relegating sheep gut condoms to a footnote in history—though natural membrane condoms are still available today for those allergic to latex.

So yes, for roughly 2,000 years of human history, preventing pregnancy and disease meant wrapping your business in processed animal organs or chemical-soaked fabric. Modern manufacturing doesn't sound so bad now, does it?