Contraceptive pill, 'Anovlar'

Introduced in 1961, Anovlar was one the first contraceptive pill to be used in New Zealand (it was Europe’s first contraceptive pill, appearing on the West German market in 1961).

Described as a revolution, 'the Pill' changed attitudes towards contraception in society. The Pill combined oestrogen and progesterone, taken by mouth to inhibit fertility. Combined oral contraceptives were first approved for use in the United States in 1960, and became the most popular type of birth control, being about 98% effective. The first contraceptive pill was available in New Zealand in 1961, by which time people were desperate for reliable birth control. New Zealand women were quick to take it, and became some of the highest users in the world. By the mid-1960s, the birth rate for married women began to decline. By the mid 1970s, half of all women of reproductive age were on the Pill.

The Pill allowed women to control their fertility independently of intercourse and without internal manipulations by a doctor. It was a more predictable form of contraception that the previous barrier methods. However, initially only married women were prescribed it. The original intention of the Pill was to help women space their families. Later, it was used to delay the timing of the first birth. By the late 1960s / early 1970s, as the reality of sexually active youth and changing social mores became more widely accepted, the Pill was used by unmarried people to protect against unwanted pregnancies. However, fears arose in the 1970s that users of the Pill were at risk of higher death rates.