PIP: The origin of the term condom is not known, but it may have been derived from the Latin word condus meaning receptacle. Or it may have been names for an English physician named Condom, although there is no proof of this. Potential users should not be put off by a misperception of the word condom as vulgar. The 1st condoms were made of animal intestines and were designed to prevent spread of sexually transmitted diseases. They decreased sensitivity and could not be mass produced. The 1839 discovery of a process for vulcanizing rubber permitted widescale production of condoms for the 'st time in the later 1800s. Although condoms are not completely safe wither as a contraceptive or a preventive measure, they offer more advantages than disadvantages. They reduce sensitivity and interrupt lovemaking, but their use can be converted into an element of erotic play. The condom should be placed on the erect penis and carefully unrolled to the base. The condom should be carefully removed after ejaculation to ensure that no liquid escapes. Condoms offer protection against the life threatening AIDS virus and against unwanted pregnancy. They have the further advantage of requiring male participation and thus of fostering greater egalitarianism in family planning and contraception. Condom use is slowly gaining ground. 10 years ago a person seeking condoms in a Mexican pharmacy had to request them, but today they are sold in supermarkets and on pharmacy display racks. Channels for free distribution of condoms should be increased to remove the financial constraint on their acceptance.