A vast literature witnesses to the existence of several contraceptive methods in 19th century France. Coitus interruptus was much used, although thought responsible for a number of diseases. The condom, made with bowels of animals, had been in existence since the 17th century; France exported such devices to the U.S. up to 1837. It was not, however, considered moral to use it, especially for married couples. There were a number of female contraceptive devices, such as safety sponges and silk rosettes, and of spermicidal agents, such as powders and suppositories. Even if induced abortion had been made illegal by Henry 2 in 1556, it continued to be practiced in all French cities at varying costs, depending on the status of the client. Abortion to save the life of the mother was permitted by the French Medical Academy in 1852, to be revoked by the Vatican in 1895. Many women belonging to all social classes abandoned their unwanted newborns in convents, or to a sure death in the streets of French cities.