Overview
The pill: a revolution
The contraceptive pill arrived in New Zealand in 1961. For the first time, women could confidently choose to have sex without getting pregnant.
Initially, most doctors would prescribe the pill only to married mothers. But demand and changing attitudes meant that use soon skyrocketed – and baby-boom birth rates halved. By 1974, half of all New Zealand women of reproductive age were on the pill.
Contraceptive pills sometimes compromised women’s health. Early high-oestrogen pills could cause side-effects that were unpleasant or even dangerous, including blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.
The pill is still the most popular contraceptive for New Zealand women.