NEW RESEARCH | Small businesses pushed sex education – despite legal ban

For most of the 20th century, the contraceptive market in Sweden was surrounded by moral and political conflicts. Yet the market grew – and it was small businesses that fueled it, according to research at Umeå University.

It was never illegal to sell contraceptives, but there were extensive restrictions between 1910 and 1970. This is shown in Anna Inez Bergman’s doctoral thesis in economic history, where she has studied the historically controversial market for contraceptives.

– I wanted to understand how such a controversial market grows and eventually gains legitimacy.

Her research examines how the sale and production of over-the-counter contraceptives such as condoms, diaphragms and chemical contraceptives developed during the period. In her study, she has analyzed everything from advertising and statistics to archival documents.

– “It was surprising to see how organized the companies were. They worked together in cartels and tried in various ways to influence the legislation to their advantage, she says.

Engaged in commercial activism

Between 1910 and 1938, for example, there was a far-reaching ban on the advertising of contraceptives. Nevertheless, several small companies were set up, often by politically committed people linked to the labor movement or the neo-Malthusian movement, which at the time advocated restricting children to combat poverty in Sweden.

– In the early 1900s, several companies engaged in what I call commercial activism. They not only sold products but also spread sex education, says Anna Inez Bergman.

The advertising linked contraceptive use to wider social issues such as women’s liberation, class struggle and health. The commercial and the political went hand in hand – not least in the case of RFSU, which combined non-profit work with profit-making activities.

– Profits from the sale of contraceptives funded sex education. Similarly, several companies seem to have used sex education as a strategy to legitimize the controversial sale of contraceptives.

Businesses as norm changers

Companies did not only influence public opinion through advertising. They also acted directly against the state, including by coordinating in trade associations and trying to influence rules and legislation. Some companies distorted or withheld information to avoid intervention.

– It was clear that businesses were not only influenced by their context – they helped shape it.

Another surprising finding of the research was the early start of new products in the field of contraception. As early as the 1930s, knobbly condoms were launched with reference to female pleasure. During the Second World War, condom production was also considered essential to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

After the bans were lifted in the 1970s, the market exploded. New products were launched and marketing became more sexualized.

– The companies were driven by several motives at once. Partly by ideological convictions, partly by profit-making interests, says Anna Inez Bergman.

Democratic access

Anna Inez Bergman emphasizes that the companies’ role was twofold – both as norm breakers and as profit-making actors. To succeed commercially, they also needed to try to change society’s views on sexuality and gender roles.

– Small businesses have played a crucial role in democratizing access to contraception. They have produced and sold contraceptives and, through their marketing, spread information about reproduction.

Contact anna.bergman@umu.se

More about the thesis
Anna Inez Bergman defends her thesis at Umeå University on May 23 with the thesis Kommers och Kontrovers: The Contraceptive Market in Sweden 1910-1979.