The Birth of Planned Parenthood

The Birth of Planned Parenthood

In 1873, the Comstock Act was passed at the urging of Anthony Comstock, head of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. This Act made it illegal to send “obscene, lewd or lascivious,” “immoral,” or “indecent” material through the post office or for anyone to sell, give away, or possess an obscene book, pamphlet, picture, drawing, or advertisement. Physicians were not exempt from this. Congress then designated Comstock as a special agent in the United States Post Office charged with enforcing the law.  He held this position for 42 years. Comstock reported successful prosecution of 3,600 defendants and destruction 160 tons of "obscene literature". The Comstock Act was still used until 1971. 

On October 16, 1916, Margaret Sanger opened a birth control clinic (modeled on ones she had observed when in Holland in 1915) with her sister, Registered Nurse, Ethel Byrne and a volunteer interpreter, Fania Mindell. They put out flyers in English, Yiddish, and Italian that said "Mothers, do not kill. do not take life, but prevent,” and advertised their service.  They served 100 women on the opening day. For 10 cents (roughly equivalent to $2.72 in 2022), women could purchase Margaret Sanger's pamphlet "What Every Girl Should Know" that included information on the female reproductive system and various methods of birth control. 

On October 26, 1916 New York Vice-Squad officers raided the clinic. They found condoms, pessaries (devices used to support the uterine wall typically used to treat prolapse), and "books on young women". All three women were arrested and convicted under the Comstock Act. Margaret Sanger reopened the clinic on November 14th and was arrested again for maintaining a public nuisance. She again opened on November 16th but was evicted by her landlord. 

In 1921, Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League which later became Planned Parenthood. 

In 2014, Planned Parenthood performed 323,999 abortions or 3% of services performed. 

The same year: 

34% of services provided were for contraception. 

3,445 vasectomies were performed

718 female sterilization procedures were performed

1.1 million pregnancy tests were given

17,419 of services were prenatal care

4.2 million STD tests and treatments (42% of services provided)

270,000 cervical cancer screenings

360,000 breast exams

Source Material:

Inflation Calculator 

https://sangerpapers.wordpress.com/2012/10/26/anniversry-of-the-brownsville-clinic-raid/

Encyclopedia of Women's History in America By Kathryn Cullen-DuPont 2nd Edition

Horwitz, Rainey, "The Woman Rebel (1914)". Embryo Project Encyclopedia (2018-05-16). ISSN: 1940-5030 http://embryo.asu.edu/handle/10776/13063.

Comstock Act 

Comstock Act 2

Women's History NWHM

Planned Parenthood CNN 


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