item details
NameSchering PC 4 emergency contraceptive pill
ProductionSchering AG; manufacturer(s); circa 1994
Classificationoral contraceptives, personalia
Materialscardboard, foil, plastic, hormone
DimensionsOverall: 85mm (width), 37mm (height), 15mm (depth)
Registration NumberGH022507
Credit lineGift of Dame Margaret Sparrow, 2011
Overview
Emergency contraception was introduced to New Zealand in the early 1970s. Dame Margaret Sparrow was one of the first New Zealand doctors to prescribe what was known as the 'morning after pill'. She saw a real need for it among the young people who came to her at Victoria University’s Student Health Service.
The original ‘morning after pill’ was actually four pills (such as this example) taken within 72 hours of intercourse. Then four dropped to two. By 2003, the dose was a single pill that could be bought at a pharmacy without a prescription.