“This little object is very much a reflection of the human
spirit,” says Aine Collier, author of The Humble Little Condom:
A History ($19, Prometheus Books). Indeed, she adds, few people
realize that condoms were used by the ancient Egyptians, who
made them out of animal intestines. Collier tracks the condom
through the Middle Ages and the time of Columbus, when rampant
syphilis forced condoms into double duty—preventing both
pregnancy and disease. In today’s age of HIV/AIDS, she charts
how they jumped from drugstores to Wal-Mart, remaining the best
protection for serodiscordant sexual partners. But their
effectiveness, Collier insists, depends on society’s willingness
to embrace them. “I think that the acceptance of the condom is
still very much up in the air and is very culturally bound,” she
says. “People are still deeply embarrassed about references to
sexuality. And given the fact that the AIDS rates just keep
climbing, this baby’s the answer. We need to embrace it and
educate, educate, educate.” And who