On October 16, 1916, Margaret Sanger founded the first birth control clinic. Located in Brooklyn, it would, over a century, grow into Planned Parenthood, a national organization many American women today have to thank for providing them with health care from birth control to sex education and medical screenings.
But its battles began just 10 days after opening, when the clinic was shut down. Sanger was arrested and thrown in jail for 30 days. After all, it was only two years earlier that Sanger had penned the term "birth control" in an article for The Woman Rebel—and was promptly indicted for it (a super unhelpful law at the time declared birth control illegal and mentions of it obscene).
Today, Planned Parenthood is a resource one in five American women has turned to at least once in her life, according to the organization's site—despite the best efforts of court cases, defunding, smear campaigns, legislative efforts, and protest. In celebration of its 100th birthday, these women are tweeting their stories with the hashtag #100YearsStrong to show just how important the organization has been in their lives.
There's much this legendary organization has done for women over the decades, and although it's had to fight to persevere—and, unfortunately, continues to have to do so—we're thrilled it's around to help women lead healthy, responsible, and successful lives well into the 21st century.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/women-share-why-planned-parenthood-is-vital-on-its-100th-birthday
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