Condom usage where it started from where it is:

Condom, as a noun almost sounds funny. Well, we all know what it is and that kind of makes it less funny unless you are in your early teens hitting puberty, there’s something in that age that makes one giggle a bit when they use the word (in most cases) although, with everything that goes on during this time anything that makes you giggle is good given the bizarre things that boys and girls are dealing with physically. And, as if the physical things were not enough, they also have peer pressure and social media shooting up the anxiety to a whole new level. I know I started with Condoms and suddenly digressing to teenage problems, perhaps because Baba O’Riley is playing in the background and being born in the 80s, I believe my generation has had it much easier than the kids these days, so, I do feel bad for their ordeal.
Enough about puberty. Let’s get back to the topic, fun fact, did you know that we have no conclusive idea about where the name “Condom” came from? The most popular theory is that I was named after a physician Dr. Condom in Charles the 2nd’s court (king of Great Britain and Ireland,1660–85). Although it is unverified.
If we talk a little bit about the history of Condoms and believe me, it is quite lengthy. The earliest accounts of condom use are traced back to ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, and other parts of the world although it is debated among archeologists and historians. Most of these accounts refer to the use of animal intestines and processed silk cloth condoms. Accountable history puts the first mention of condoms in the writings of Gabriele Falloppio one of the most important anatomists and physicians of the sixteenth century in Italy, giving his name to the Fallopian tube. Falloppio’s treatise on syphilis (one of the most horrific sexually transmitted diseases) is the earliest uncontested description of condom use: it describes linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry before use. The cloths he described were sized to cover the glans of the penis and were held on with a ribbon, and he advocated the use of such sheaths to prevent syphilis. In an early example of a clinical trial, Falloppio reported that he tested these condoms in 1,100 men, none of whom contracted syphilis.
The following years saw a variety of innovations in the rise of Condoms, and the use of intestines, and bladders. In the 16th century, Dutch traders introduced condoms made from fine leather.
Even the Italian adventurer and author Giacomo Casanova (the adjective “Casanova” is a tribute to this Italian nobleman) the 18th century was one of the first reported to use “assurance caps” to prevent impregnating his mistresses.
Despite social and legal opposition, at the end of the 19th century, the condom was the Western world’s most popular birth control method.
The big leap was in 1839 when Charles Goodyear discovered the rubber vulcanization process. This proved to have advantages for the manufacture of condoms; unlike the sheep’s gut condoms, they could stretch and did not tear quickly when used. The Latex condoms commonly used were invented in 1920.
Since the 18th-century condoms have been opposed in some legal, religious, and medical circles for essentially the same reasons that are given today: condoms reduce the likelihood of pregnancy, which some thought immoral or undesirable for the nation; they do not provide full protection against sexually transmitted infections, while belief in their protective powers was thought to encourage sexual promiscuity; and, they are not used consistently due to inconvenience, expense, or loss of sensation.
Now let us zoom in to India. In 1963, India’s first mass-distributed condom was introduced. It was initially given the name of “Kamaraj” (pseudonym of Indian cupid Kamadeva), but K. Kamaraj was then the president of the ruling party, the Indian National Congress, so a new name for the condom was chosen: “Nirodh” meaning “obstruction” in Hindi.
A lot of you (if you are old enough) must remember the awkward ads of “Deluxe Nirodh” back in the day. Awkward as it may be, it proved to be very effective and popular, introduced in 1968, condoms contributed a lot to the success of the family planning and birth control campaign in the country. From 2.40% in 1964, India’s population growth rate dropped to 1.80% by 2005 with the help of Nirodh.
Although Condoms have been available in India since the 1940s. By late 1960,s there was a huge scarcity in the market and the price was skyrocketing with each condom selling at ₹0.25 (equivalent to ₹11 or 14¢ US in 2020). As a countermeasure, 400 million condoms were therefore imported from the US, Japan, and Korea in 1968. All of the condoms had identical packaging, with three condoms per packet, and were branded as Nirodh sold at ₹0.05 (equivalent to ₹2.00 or 2.6¢ US in 2020).
Everything seemed to be going well people were loving it and unlike nowadays they didn’t even have popular film stars doing somewhat tasteful ads of these fantastic things, helping us avoid unwanted pregnancy and STDs. We also have an array of options be it, size, types, flavors, and all kinds of craziness. Despite all this and widespread awareness, Indian men seem to be shying away from using condoms.
Now, it is almost baffling (at least on paper), that all the hoopla started with the survey done by Durex India (depicting that we are not “rexing” enough despite the noble words of Ranveer Singh). Durex posted this on their Twitter account: What’s happening India? 95% of Indians don’t use condoms! We’d love to know why? It received more than a thousand replies, most of them were jokes (ironic given how Indians hate comedians joking about serious stuff) and sarcastic comments. Some did talk about the possible reason but the seriousness of the matter was grossly underestimated.
There are a lot of reasons and, most of these reasons are spoken and understood in the slew of bitesize reactional stories published by the majority of the online news and social media platforms.
The major reason seems to be a psychological one rather than it being a social stigma. I believe the problem is much deeper than the general notions.
The topic of sex has always been an ironic and paradoxical one in India. India is the country where Kamasutra was written and sexual artifacts are showcased in ancient Temples like Khajuraho. Society has always tried to keep it shoved under the rug and it’s still relentlessly at it. Be it religion, politics, education system the entire system seems to be rigged against having an open conversation about sex.
Even on paper if a school has included sex education in their curriculum (such schools are severely numbered). There is no system in execution and it all boils down to becoming a meaningless one-sided conversation mostly conducted by the strictest and rudest teachers of the school (at least in most cases).
I believe it is about the attitude that Indians are raised within such matters. Children are taught to repress all sexual thoughts and desires and different manipulative techniques are used to push this propaganda, sex is sinful, lust is disgusting, masturbation is unhealthy, and watching porn is immoral. God is watching us, our forefathers are watching us as well and the sickening list goes on.
We tend to forget that sex was celebrated by the ancient civilizations of India even gods are associated with sexual symbolism, be it the phallus (Shivalinga) or vagina which is the base of the phallus. We have the tantra system, talking primarily about sex. And, this is the story across the nation that one of the gods “Kamadeva” is primally the god of sexual desires.
Even if we let the past be in contemporary India shows that sex although hidden in darkness has a very prominent place in the psyche of Indians. Data shows that premarital sex varies from 17% among schoolchildren to 33% among young workers in the typical north Indian population. A staggering 89 percent of people watched porn via mobile devices in India in the year 2019.
Just browse through the sexually suggestive content available on social media, movies web series. I mean everyone who is watching it and liking it but still doesn’t want to talk about it in the places it is necessary, our families, our schools, and colleges.
This in turn pushes confused youngsters to either talk to their somewhat slightly less confused friend or google.
First, to the results on google once you type “condom use” google the first two suggestions are “condom use side effects” and “condom use side effect in Hindi” which is weird.
On Youtube, the majority of the search results in India are about how to not get pregnant while having sex without condoms. The majority of young Indian men are giving lame excuses like “feel nahi aati” and “maza nahi aata”.
The basic problem is that most people are not aware of a lot of major STDs and the risk of getting one, hence condoms end up being just a tool to avoid pregnancy. And, it has been a problem not just in India but everywhere that avoiding pregnancy becomes the woman’s responsibility. This arrogance and lack of understanding of men have been a huge problem. I mean to put oneself in a woman’s shoes, having to constantly worry about whether the guy will be able to pill out in time or not, will certainly affect her ability to enjoy the act.
Not just that, contraceptive pills also cause a lot of side effects and physical discomfort. Abortion is a whole different challenge.
If anything, men should wear a condom just to so some consideration. Try different condoms buy some lube and try new things, sex is not just about penetration and ejaculation there is a lot more to it. Read an article or a book about it sometime. Don’t watch porn as online courses. And if condoms are still able to rob you of the pleasure you get out of sex, you’re probably not doing it right!