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Story: Contraception and sterilisation

Sex education, 1970s style

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Sex education, 1970s style

These sex education booklets were part of a series published by the Department of Health in the 1970s. There was little contraceptive advice in such publications and almost no sex education at school. The conservative view at the time was that if young people were taught about contraception and sex this would encourage them to become sexually active.

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Archives New Zealand – Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAFB 632 W4914 box 223 record 34/9/35 5 (left); AAFB 632 W4914 box 223 record 34/9/35 4 (right)

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Jane Tolerton, Contraception and sterilisation – Information about contraceptives, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/27000/sex-education-1970s-style (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jane Tolerton, published 23 March 2011.