Condom packaging, Mates ribbed

Empty carton of 2 Mates ribbed Type B condoms, spermicidally lubricated with Nonoxynol-9, with instruction leaflet, manufactured by Ansell International, USA and distributed in the UK by Mates Healthcare Ltd, England, c1993 (expiry date February 1996)

Part of a small personal collection of condoms and packaging dating from around the 1990s, this product is an example of the increased use of condoms internationally following the emergence of HIV and AIDS. Previously marketed as contraception, condom products diversified as they began to be targeted at a wider range of people, which led to new flavours, textures, and colours.

Spermicide condoms differ to average condoms as they are coated with a layer of spermicide, a type of chemical that kills sperm in order to stop it from entering the uterus and fertilising the egg. There is no current research to prove that spermicide lubricated condoms are more effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases compared to non-lubricated ones.