1970

 

In the 1970s, public attention turned to abortion.

Until the 1977 Contraception, Abortion and Sterilisation Act, women were unable to access legal abortions in New Zealand.

In 1974 the first abortion clinic opened in Auckland but was soon raided by police and forced to close down. Large numbers of New Zealand women travelled to Sydney to terminate their pregnancies throughout this decade and until the law change was fully implemented. Family Planning called for abortion to be legal for women with an early unwanted pregnancy.

From 1972 onwards, Family Planning received some Government support and was able to gradually open more clinics throughout New Zealand.

It wasn't until 1977 that doctors gained the power to prescribe contraception to people aged under 16. Another 12 years were to pass before the law preventing people from providing people aged under 16 with information about contraception was repealed.