June 4, 2025
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is displaying an approximately two century old sheepskin condom that shows “both the playful and serious side of sexual health.”
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is displaying an approximately two-century old sheepskin condom. The circa 1830 contraceptive is part of the “Safe Sex?” collection.
The condom is notable for what appears to be an erotic graphic etched onto its exterior. In the image a nun’s robe is lifted, displaying her genitalia, as she points to the crotches of three men of the cloth. Additionally, the clergymen are naked from the waist down.
Accompanying the image is the French phrase “Voila mon choix”—“This is my choice.” According to The Independent, the reference comes from Judgment of Paris, a story in Greek mythology.
The condom was acquired in 2024 at a Haarlem auction and is said to be made from the appendix of a sheep. “Acquiring the condom has enabled us to focus on 19th-century sexuality and prostitution, a subject that is underrepresented in our collection,” the Rijksmuseum said in a statement.
“It embodies both the lighter and darker sides of sexual health, in an era when the quest for sensual pleasure was fraught with fears of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases—especially syphilis,” the museum added.
STIs In Black America
Contraceptives being displayed openly is a boon for society. As the Rijksmuseum stressed, fears of STIs was a serious concern in the 1800s. These concerns still exist today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American youths have reported low usage of contraceptives (9%). Consequently, the increase of STDs and STIs in the Black community is staggering.
The most recent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs_ reports reveal, the Black community has the highest number of reported STI cases in the country, around 236,011. Numbers do not account for individuals who do not receive STI screenings regularly. Education through institutions of learning and art can make a significant impact in curtailing these statistics.
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