world's first 'birth control clinic' opened in the netherlands.
world's first 'birth control clinic' opened in the netherlands.
where did world's first 'birth control clinic' open?
the netherlands
birth control practices were generally adopted earlier in europe than in the united states. knowlton's book was reprinted in 1877 in england by charles bradlaugh and annie besant, with the goal of challenging britain's obscenity laws. they were arrested (and later acquitted) but the publicity of their trial contributed to the formation, in 1877, of the malthusian league – the world's first birth control advocacy group – which sought to limit population growth to avoid thomas malthus' dire predictions of exponential population growth leading to worldwide poverty and famine. by 1930, similar societies had been established in nearly all european countries, and birth control began to find acceptance in most western european countries, except catholic ireland, spain, and france. as the birth control societies spread across europe, so did birth control clinics. the first birth control clinic in the world was established in the netherlands in 1882, run by the netherlands' first female physician, aletta jacobs. the first birth control clinic in england was established in 1921 by marie stopes, in london.
birth control in the united states
in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, a community struggle for and against a birth control clinic in the homewood area of east pittsburgh made national news. women in pittsburgh had lobbied for a birth control clinic in the 1920s and were relieved in 1931 when the american birth control league (abcl) established one. the abcl changed its name in 1942 to planned parenthood. the pittsburgh clinic initiated an educational outreach program to poor families in the lower hill district in 1956. this program was twinned into the poverty-stricken homewood-brushton area in 1958. planned parenthood considered opening another clinic there, and conducted meetings with community leaders. in 1963 a mobile clinic was moved around the area. in december 1965, the planned parenthood clinic of pittsburgh (ppcp) applied for federal funding based on the war on poverty legislation johnson had promoted. in may 1966 the application was approved, and ppcp began to establish clinics throughout pittsburgh, a total of 18 by 1967, 11 of these subsidized by the federal government and placed in poor districts. in mid-1966 the pennsylvania state legislature held up family planning funds in committee. catholic bishops gained media exposure for their assertion that pittsburgh birth control efforts were a form of covert black genocide. in november 1966 the bishops said that the government was coercing poor people to have smaller families. some black leaders such as local naacp member dr. charles greenlee agreed with the bishops that birth control was black genocide. greenlee said planned parenthood was "an honorable and good organization" but that the federal office of economic opportunity was sponsoring genocidal programs. greenlee said "the negro's birth rate is the only weapon he has. when he reaches 21 he can vote." greenlee targeted the homewood clinic for closure; in doing so he allied with black militant william "bouie" haden and catholic prelate charles owen rice to speak out against black genocide, and against ppcp's educational outreach program. planned parenthood's director of community relations dr. douglas stewart said that the false charge of black genocide was harming the national advancement of blacks. in july 1968, haden announced he was willing to blow up the clinic to keep it from operating. the catholic church paid him a salary of $10,000, igniting an outcry in pittsburgh media. bishop john wright was called a "puppet of bouie haden". the ppcp closed the homewood clinic in july 1968 and stopped its educational program because of concerns about violence. the black congregation of the bethesda united presbyterian church issued a statement saying that accusations of black genocide were "patently false". a meeting was scheduled for march 1969 to discuss the issue. about 200 women, mostly black, appeared in support of the clinic, and it was reopened. this was seen as a major defeat for the black militant notion that government-funded birth control was black genocide.
black genocide