International Condom Day- 2022

International Condom Day is celebrated on 13th February every year, one day before Valentine’s Day. The day is a fun, tongue-in-cheek way of reminding people to practice safety when being intimate with their partners. The day was set up as a way to remind people that condoms are one of the best ways to protect themselves not only from unwanted pregnancies but Sexually Transmitted Diseases (S.T.D.s) as well. Proper usage reduces the risk of diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV/AIDS, among others.

Are condoms necessary? Contraceptives? Contraception? Abortives? Do you know the origin of birth control pills and condoms?

Although the birth control pill and other hormonal contraceptive devices are modern inventions, birth control has been around for thousands of years. The earliest known recordings of birth control methods date back to ancient Mesopotamia, around 1850 BC. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all had various forms of birth control.

What were the earliest forms of birth control?

The earliest forms of birth control, as well as abortion, were found in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as far back as 1850 BC. Papyrus scrolls were found to contain directions on how to make birth control, using honey, acacia leaves, and also lint as a form of cervical cap to prevent sperm from entering the womb.

Origin of condoms

Manufacturing condoms with rubber kicked off during the Industrial Revolution in America, and in 1839, Charles Goodyear invented rubber vulcanization. The first condoms made of rubber were made in 1855 and by the 1860s, rubber condoms were being mass produced. Skin condoms were still more popular though, because they were cheaper and the early rubber ones tended to fall off. In 1920 came latex, made using a process with rubber suspended in water. Latex condoms were cheaper and easier to produce and so replaced skin condoms in popularity. During World War I, the United States and Britain were the only countries in Europe who did not provide condoms to their soldiers, and by the end of the war documented cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea in the American military skyrocketed. Back then, syphilis killed more people every year than AIDS at its peak, and there was an awful lot of money spent on treating troops. Learning from its mistakes, the US military jumped on board in World War II and distributed condoms to soldiers. Shortly afterwards, Britain made up for being slow on the uptake by creating the very first lubricated condom, produced by Durex in 1957. Condom use surged, with 42% of sexually active people between 1955-1965 relying on them for birth control. Widespread use of penicillin and the contraceptive pill saw condom use plummet until the ’80s and the emergence of AIDS.

Why you shouldn’t use contraceptives/contraception even if you are married? Yes don’t use condoms too!

– It more safer to use the natural family planning method in marriage!

– No matter how safe condom appears to protect against pregnancy, it is not 100% effective!

– Contraceptives may only protect you against pregnancies, but will not protect you against STIs and STDs!

– Sex is mainly made for procreation. Yes, it is also made to build intimacy between spouses, but it is more sensible to have sex naturally without any contraceptives/contraception which may come with some future consequences.

– Some of the contraceptives people use rather act as abortives- they kill the fertilized egg (foetus). Isn’t this the same as murder?

– As unmarried youths, abstinence is the best way to avoid pregnancies, STDs, STIs and all the negative implications unhealthy sexual activities can impose on us.

Yes, it is true that some people are sexually active, it seems almost impossible for them to abstain from sex. Well, just like the Vatican some time ago paved way for the use of condoms in curbing the widespread of HIV under the perception that “condom use is acceptable as a lesser evil where there was risk of HIV contagion.” So, to those who can’t abstain from sex, the ‘better’ alternative should be the use of condoms. Meanwhile, let’s make a conscious effort to abstain from sex when we are not married. If anybody is finding it difficult to abstain from sex, JESUS is there to journey with them if and only they’ll open up to JESUS.

#InternationalCondomDay

#SayNoTocondoms

#SayNoToContraception/Contraceptives

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