Story: Sexual health

Ettie Rout and New Zealand soldiers

Safer-sex advocate Ettie Rout (middle row, second from right) poses with a group of New Zealand soldiers in Paris, France, in August 1918. Rout endeavoured to meet every New Zealand soldier coming to the city on leave. She offered them a place to stay the night, looked after their gear, and gave them a card for Madame Yvonne’s, a brothel where safe sex was practised.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: MISC 30 1*14

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How to cite this page

Jane Tolerton, Sexual health – Sexual health, 1914–1945, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/27205/ettie-rout-and-new-zealand-soldiers (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Jane Tolerton, published 30 March 2011.

Comments

Sarndra
11 November 2011

Ettie Rout would have to be my heroine.... such an incredibly brave and forward thinking woman! Bless