The most reliable guardian of your health: Controversies on the condom's acceptance in the 20th century

Abstract

The history of the condom, although repressed or bypassed throughout the centuries, represents an important part of our cultural history. An historical overview on how the condom was perceived by Croatian physicians and how the pharmaceutical industry advertised condoms in the first half of the 20th century is provided. The contributions on contraception in Croatian medical bulletins, as well as the advertisements published in our professional pharmaceutical journals established during the Interwar Period is discussed. Indeed, the condom was for the most part neglected either as a prophylactic or as a contraceptive among physicians and public health workers, despite epidemics of syphilis and the rise of socialized medicine. In conclusion, this paper is the first attempt to provide the history of condom in Croatia, discussing dominant attitudes toward contraception, prophylaxis of venereal diseases, the control of reproduction, and the ideologies about human sexuality.