 In 16th century Italy , Gabriele Falloppio wrote a treatise on syphilis . The earliest documented strain of syphilis , first appearing in Europe in a 1490s outbreak , caused severe symptoms and often death within a few months of contracting the disease . Falloppio 's treatise is the earliest uncontested description of condom use : it describes linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry before use . The cloths he described were sized to cover the glans of the penis , and were held on with a ribbon . Falloppio claimed that an experimental trial of the linen sheath demonstrated protection against syphilis . 
 In 16th century Italy , Gabriele Falloppio wrote a treatise on syphilis . The earliest documented strain of syphilis , first appearing in Europe in a 1490s outbreak , caused severe symptoms and often death within a few months of contracting the disease . Falloppio <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>treatise is the earliest uncontested description of condom use : it <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>describes</mark></a> linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry before use . The cloths he described <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> sized to cover the glans of the penis , and <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> held on with a ribbon . Falloppio claimed that an experimental trial of the linen sheath demonstrated protection against syphilis . 
In 16th century Italy , Gabriele Falloppio wrote a treatise on syphilis . The earliest documented strain of syphilis , first appearing in Europe in a 1490s outbreak , caused severe symptoms and often death within a few months of contracting the disease . Falloppio  treatise is da earliest uncontested description of condom use : it describe linen sheaths soaked in a chemical solution and allowed to dry b4 use . The cloths he described was sized to cover tdaglans of the penis , and was held on with a ribbon . Falloppio claimed dat an experimental trial of thdainen sheath demonstrated protection against syphilis .