‘Unmentionable’ condoms vs. ‘glamorous’ pills: How the London Rubber Company tackled an image problem in 1960s Britain

Abstract

This article responds to a special call for papers on the subject of ‘Taboos in Health Communication: Stigma, Silence and Voice’ and presents the historic case study of the London Rubber Company, manufacturers of Durex condoms, who used PR techniques to undermine confidence in the oral contraceptive pill over 1961–1965. It is argued that continuities between the public discussion of birth control products between the 1960s and today can help practitioners to better understand the nature and uses of ‘fake news’, secrecy and transparency and the productive possibilities of rumour. It is written from the perspective of an empirical research historian with an interest in historical cases of PR relating to contraception, using a qualitative, chronological approach based on original archival research.

Keywords

Oral contraception condoms post-war Britain front organisations public relations

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