Wartime Shifts in Swedish Sexual Health
A new study from Stockholm University indicates that World War II led to fundamental changes in Swedish perspectives on sexual health. The conflict helped establish the condom as the primary protective measure against venereal disease, transforming long-term sexual health practices in Sweden.
Anna Inez Bergman, PhD in Economic History and lecturer at Stockholm University's Department of Public Health Sciences, noted that before the war, a wider array of products for preventing pregnancy and infection existed. During WWII, the market narrowed, and condoms became increasingly framed as the most effective and responsible choice.
Public Health Campaigns and Market Alignment
The study, published in Enterprise & Society, examines how wartime public health campaigns collaborated with commercial marketing to reshape the market for protective products.
Venereal diseases were a significant concern across Europe, including Sweden, during the war. Over one million Swedish men were conscripted, leading to population movement and new risks of infection. Although Sweden did not provide free condoms to soldiers, the government initiated extensive public health campaigns to encourage protective practices. These efforts were part of a broader expansion of wartime information aimed at guiding citizen behavior during the "years of preparedness."
Bergman's research shows that condom retailers adapted their advertising to align with official infection control concerns, thereby increasing sales. Advertisements emphasized responsibility, protection, and national health, mirroring the language used by public health authorities. This alignment helped redefine condoms as practical medical tools rather than morally questionable products.
Post-War Continuity and Broader Impact
Following the war, Swedish authorities continued to prioritize infection control, unlike some countries that reverted to prewar moral standards. This continuity ensured that condoms retained their enhanced legitimacy in public discourse and the consumer market, making a wartime response into a long-term transformation of sexual health practices.
The article also suggests that this shift in sexual health practices reflects a larger story about governance and communication. Sweden's expanded use of public information campaigns during WWII, which covered various aspects from food consumption to personal behavior, is argued to have influenced the more interventionist welfare states that emerged after 1945. Bergman's research indicates that wartime propaganda and advertising laid a foundation for ongoing relationships between public health policy and market strategies. This facilitated a more open public discourse on sexuality that developed in Sweden in the 1960s.
Study Methodology
Bergman's study involved examining public health campaigns and commercial advertisements for condoms found in newspapers and brochures. The research analyzed 64 brochures from four major Swedish condom retailers, as well as newspaper advertisements from daily and military press, spanning the period from 1939 to 1950.