Trojan Condoms

Excluding abstinence, condoms are the oldest form of effective birth control still in use today. The Ancient Egyptians are believed to have used condoms, made of linen, for protection against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) 3000 years ago, but various materials have been used to make condoms throughout the ages, including animal and fish intestines and tortoise shells.

The manufacture of condoms as we now know them began in earnest when Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock discovered the vulcanization of rubber in 1839. Rubber vulcanization is the process of transforming rubber into a strong elastic material, and it made the manufacture of rubber products, including condoms, faster and cheaper. The production, in 1919, of latex condoms (thinner than rubber ones and odorless) was another revolutionary change in condom manufacture. Condom sales increased dramatically in the U.S. in the mid 1930’s. As other contraceptive methods (the Pill, IUDs …) gained in popularity in the early 1960s, there was a decline in condom use.

The decline in condom use was short-lived. With the rise of HIV/AIDS more people switched condoms. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, condoms became more widely available, more socially acceptable and more strongly encouraged. In 1994, the polyurethane condom appeared on the U.S. market, extending condom use to men and women with latex allergies or sensitivities. Today condoms come in many different sizes (widths, thicknesses and lengths), colors and flavors. You can easily buy lubricated condoms, non-lubricated condoms and condoms with spermicide. Leading manufacturers, such as Trojan Condoms, no longer design condoms solely with effective birth control and STD protection in mind, but also as a means of promoting sexual pleasure.

The condom may be the oldest contraceptive device still in use today, but humankind has known about contraception in general since ancient times. Early Islamic texts, ancient Jewish sources and sacred Hindu scriptures all refer to various herbal concoctions that claimed to induce temporary sterility. From crocodile dung to lactic acid (made out of a mixture of dates, bark and honey), contraceptive remedies and inventions abound throughout history.

The world’s major religions all have a common stance when it comes to the issue of birth control. They stand unified in their opposition to promoting the widespread availability of contraceptive devices such as condoms because they believe this will encourage immorality and illicit sex. No religious tradition supports the use of contraceptives to make it easier to engage in extra-marital sex by avoiding pregnancy and preventing STDs.

Having said that, it’s important to note that religions have varying points of views regarding different contraceptive methods. Within each of the major religions, followers, religious leaders and scholars espouse different viewpoints on the issue of contraception – but no one, in any religion, officially and publicly condones birth control as a facilitator of ‘illicit’ sex.

Major world religions’ views on contraception and condom use:

The Roman Catholic Church’s position is that the purpose of sex is to procreate. Hindering reproduction is to encourage sinful sex. This goes for married people too (no one else is supposed to be having sex anyway). The only birth control techniques sanctioned by the Church are abstinence and Natural Family Planning (NFP). Catholics believe that unnatural forms of contraception such as condoms encourage casual sex, which is a sin.

• The positions of Protestant Christianity on condom use depends on the denomination, although recently there is a trend among conservative Christians in the U.S. to oppose contraception.
• The Orthodox Christian Church allows married couples to make their own decisions regarding contraception use.
• Judaism: Birth control views vary among Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of Judaism. The Orthodox view is that Jewish Talmudic literature prohibits the use of male contraceptive devices that “waste the male seed”, but that female contraception may be permitted for health reasons. Conservative and Reform views authorize social, economic and environmental reasons for contraception use, and note that sexual pleasure between married couples is not a sin. Most Jews believe that condoms and other barrier methods of contraception as well as ‘withdrawal’ are not permissible because they spill the male seed. Male and female sterilization are also not allowed.
• Islam does not place many restrictions on contraception, and non-permanent contraceptive methods such as condoms are the preferred contraceptive device because their effect is likened to the ‘withdrawal method’ that is mentioned in Islamic texts. All contraceptive devices seem to be permissible as long as they do not kill the embryo (so IUDs are controversial) or affect the woman’s health. Surgical sterilization is only permissible if medically necessary. The sexual pleasure factor is recognized, (but only between married couples, naturally), and marriage is not equated with conception. A man may not use the withdrawal method of contraception unless his wife agrees because it interrupts her pleasure, for example. Contraception is supported for economic reasons, to space childbearing, to prevent the spread of STDs and for the natural well-being of the family.
• Hinduism: As an ancient religion, Hinduism too encourages prolific procreation within marriage – but birth control is not prohibited by the religion. Although views on contraception vary widely among Hindu scholars, there seems to be a consensus that although fertility is important, conceiving more children than one can support is wrong. Many Hindus believe that it is important to have a son, and contraception is usually not practiced until after a son is born. Since India has an over-population problem, abortion was legalized in 1971 and it is the first nation to establish a government population policy based on contraception. Hinduism has never opposed the use of the condom both as a contraceptive method and to prevent the spread of STDs.
• Buddhism: Buddhists believe that a soul can reach Nirvana only after it becomes human. Limiting the number of humans (contraception), automatically reduces the number achieving Nirvana. Since most Buddhists believe that conception occurs when the egg is fertilized, contraceptive methods that prevent fertilization such as condoms are more acceptable than other methods.
• Sikhism: Sikhs support sensible family planning, and married couples are free to decide on the number of children they want. There are no religious prohibitions against contraception, but, again, it may not be used to facilitate illicit sexual relationships.
• Taoism and Confucianism: Family planning has been a part of both these religions for thousands of years. In modern day China, of course, family planning is forced (Article 25 of the 1982 Chinese Constitution stipulates that the State should promote family planning).

To sum up, although most religions originally promoted fertility because they date back to a time when fertility could mean the difference between survival and death of a community, there is little or no condemnation of using contraceptive methods (particularly barrier methods like the condom) in most religions.

All religions, however, are against the use of condoms and contraception outside the context of marriage. STDs not withstanding, HIV/AIDS or not – religions will not promote condom use for unmarried couples because this is perceived as condoning illicit sexual behavior. Muslims may have the most options for religiously acceptable contraceptive methods, but Islam’s stance on condom use outside of marriage is non-negotiable – even for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

From the standpoint of most religions, and socially and culturally as well, it seems that the importance of preventing (or at least not condoning) ‘immoral’ sexual behavior like extramarital sex and homosexuality is more important than preventing the spread of disease and limiting the number of unintended pregnancies.

In many ‘developing countries’, over-population is a critical problem and governments have for decades been promoting contraception; distributing free birth control pills, free condoms, fitting women with IUDs free of charge etc. – but in the vast majority of these countries, such services are only available to married men and women.

If you are fortunate enough to be living in a country where you have free access to condoms whether or not you are married, then it is your responsibility to use them. You can’t logically use your religion as an excuse for unintentional pregnancies and contracting STDs because if your religion condemns birth control, then it also condemns premarital sex, adultery, multiple sex partners and homosexuality. Most religions do.