This temperature chart was used by women to try to determine the time in their menstrual cycle that was least likely to result in pregnancy. The 'rhythm method' was popular from the 1930s, especially with those whose religion forbade contraceptives. However, it was not very effective, as it is often difficult to assess the precise stages of a woman's menstrual cycle.
Courtesy of Family Planning, Dame Margaret Sparrow Collection
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Marguerite Hill
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