Packet of 2 Safer Relations 'Rubbers' condoms

Carton of 2 Safer Relations 'Rubbers' lubricated Type A condoms, assorted flavours, with instruction leaflet, Healthline Products Ltd, England, c1991 (expiry date March 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.

Before latex became the predominant material used for condoms, animal membrane and linen sheaths were used to cover the penis during intercourse for hundreds of years. They would be tied in place using a ribbon and washed and reused multiple times. Due to this, and the fact they were expensive and did not work very well, when rubber condoms were first produced in 1855, they revolutionised the industry.