September 26, 2012

“If Your Girlfriend Gets Pregnant, So Do You!”: 13 Amazing Vintage Contraceptive Ads

Forty years of blunt, simple, and often goofy contraception ads


Just a few months ago, a Michigan state representative was banned from speaking on her own legislature’s floor after saying “vagina.” In Virginia, a squeamish lawmaker simply called it “V.” This year, several states also enacted laws mandating that abstinence be stressed in sex education classes, bringing to 26 the total number of states with such policies. Meanwhile, Todd “legitimate rape” Akin schooled us in medieval biology. ‘Nuff said.

Somehow, we’ve arrived at a place where euphemisms are preferable, ignorance is tolerated, and politicians are seeking to turn back the clock on a woman’s right to dictate the terms of her personal and professional future.

So, in recognition of World Contraception Day, we put together this slideshow. Pulled from archives at the National Institutes of Health, these vintage contraception ads from around the globe date back as far as 1969. They tell it like it is—with humor, a few tacky hairdos, and a bluntness that will surely please anyone who’s tired of the talk-arounds.

1986, London Family Planning Association National Library of Medicine
 

1980, Family Planning Association of Queensland National Library of Medicine
 

1991, Gambia Family Planning Association National Library of Medicine
 

“Careful! Don’t take a step without your sandal. When it’s time to decide, you have a lot to choose from.” 1995, Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar (MEXFAM) National Library of Medicine
 

1980s, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah National Library of Medicine
 

1996, Senegal Ministere de la Sante et de l’Action Sociale (MSAS) National Library of Medicine
 

1978, Pharmacy Planning Service National Library of Medicine
 

1993, Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK) National Library of Medicine

Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar (MEXFAM) National Library of Medicine
 

1993, Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) National Library of Medicine
 

1969, India Ministry of Health, Family Planning, and Urban Development National Library of Medicine
 

Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA) National Library of Medicine
 

1970, London Family Planning Association National Library of Medicine

 

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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