Rocking the Cradle - Contraception, Sex and Politics in New Zealand

Steele Roberts, Wellington, 2000. Paperback in tidy condition.

This book traces the quest for contraception in New Zealand and explores the connected realms of sex and politics. By 1900 many couples had chosen to have fewer children - but contraceptive methods were limited and often desperate. In the 1930s a radical group of women set out to help people access sex information and contraception. They became the Family Planning Association, and encountered head-on entrenched moral viewpoints and fears about declining population.

Often funny, sometimes tragic or bizarre, always controversial, this book investigates a relatively unexplored aspect of our lives. It offers insight into sexual attitudes, gives a timely warning against repeating past mistakes, and provides a context for future decisions on sexual and reproductive health issues.