Family planning in Maryland.

Abstract

first birth control clinic in the United States was opened by Margaret Sanger in 1916. It was closed almost immediately and Mrs. Sanger arrested. legal battle went on for the next seven years, and in 1923 the clinic was reopened. In 1936 the Comstock Laws were re-interpreted by the courts to permit physicians to prescribe birth control for patients and to disseminate information regarding it through the mails. Baltimore was one of the first large cities to follow Margaret Sanger. A clinic called The Bureau for Contraceptive Advice was founded in 1927 by a committee of Johns Hopkins physicians under the direction of Dr. Bessie Moses. Under her brilliant and dedicated leadership, the association grew steadily. There were no dramatic developments, however, in the outreach program until 1958. Community apathy, restrictive referral policies by both Public Health and Welfare, and the lack of acceptable methods were factors preventing the association from reaching in any significant numbers the families most in need of its services. A national breakthrough in publicity, with articles on birth control and population growth appearing in an increasing number of magazines and publications, occurred in the late 1950's. impact was soon felt in Baltimore. Concerned individuals began to question public policy on birth control. Two sessions of the Grand Jury included specific recommendations for the referral of welfare clients to Planned Parenthood. Governor's Commission to Study the Problems of Illegitimacy also considered the birth control approach to the problem, and their concern resulted in a majority recommendation for referral in their final report. real turning point for Maryland came in the fall of 1962 when the State Board of Welfare adopted an affirmative policy of referral for married clients to family planning services. This was due largely to the efforts of the Planned Parenthood Association's Clergymen's Board. Long concerned with restrictive public policy on birth control in the community, they made the first direct approach to the Board of Welfare in the spring of 1961. Meetings were held with the directors of the two tax-supported hospitals, the directors of City and State Departments of Welfare, and with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. These groups were presented with the strong convictions of a representative delegation of Protestant and Jewish clergymen who strongly advocated making birth control services available for the less privileged families in the community. Expressing their respect for the Roman Catholic position on this issue, they emphasized their conviction that in a pluralistic society the beliefs of one religious group should not be imposed on a majority. Prior to 1962, Planned Parenthood's