Margaret Sanger and Birth Control

The right to choose motherhood was expanded and made more visible by activists like Margaret Sanger, who promoted the development and use of birth control through various campaigns and publications. Early 20th century birth control advocates faced opposition from both religious and political leaders who viewed contraception as dangerous and immoral. Sanger published the Birth Control Review and established the organization that eventually became Planned Parenthood, with the goal of expanding knowledge about contraception as well as access to it. Sanger’s neo-Malthusian and eugenic convictions should be acknowledged as integral to her perspective, which was framed by biased ideas about who should and should not reproduce.