Throughout America’s history, birth control has been a highly debated subject, but in the early 1900s the subject was considered highly taboo.  Despite the controversy, Margaret Sanger supported the cause and opened the first birth control clinic in the country in 1916.  Sanger was jailed for her efforts, but would continue to be one of the leading birth control advocates in the United States.

On this day, April 5th, in 1922, the American Birth Control League, founded by Margaret Sanger, was incorporated – the company would later become Planned Parenthood Inc.  The American Birth Control League’s mission was to promote the opening of birth control clinics and introduce the new concept of women controlling their fertility.   The league grew to include 27,500 members with ten locations spread across nine states.  The league’s headquarters were on Fifth Avenue, New York City from 1921 to 1930.

The American Birth Control League’s name was changed to Planned Parenthood in 1942.  Planned Parenthood has over 800 locations throughout the United States and has a budget of more than $1 billion.