condom, contraceptive and prophylactic device consisting of a sheath that fits over the penis or inside the vagina and that is intended to prevent the entry of semen into the vagina and to protect against the exchange of sexually transmitted diseases acquired through various means of sexual contact. It is made of very thin, flexible rubber or a rubberlike plastic (latex).
The condom has long been used as protection against venereal infections and other sexually transmitted diseases, and by the 17th century it was utilized as a contraceptive as well. Early condoms were generally made of animal gut or fish membrane and were often inefficient. Legend is confused on the origin of the term condom—one story tells of a man named Condom devising such a contraceptive for Charles II of England. Since the 1840s most condoms have been made of vulcanized rubber or, since the 1930s, of latex. At first they were usually washable, but now they are generally disposable and slightly lubricated.
Efficient, convenient, but still disliked for its dulling of physical sensation, the condom fails mainly because of irregular use. It is an effective form of protection against a broad range of sexually transmitted diseases. However, female condoms are thought to be less effective than male condoms for prophylaxis. See contraception.