“Jessica L. Furgerson gives us a necessary and pointed study of early birth control rhetoric and its tortuous and enduring afterlife.”

-Rickie Solinger, co-author of Reproductive Justice: An Introduction

 

The Battle for Birth Control

Exploring the Lasting Consequences of the Movement’s Early Rhetoric

The Battle for Birth Control delves into the complex rhetorical history of the American birth control movement in its formative years. This book traces the duplicity of the movement’s early rhetoric and argues that their accommodationist strategy yielded increased contraceptive access solely because of their willingness to endorse the neoliberal regime of reproductive control largely responsible for the current threats to reproductive autonomy in the twenty-first century.

What people are saying:

  • Margaret M. Quinlan, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

    “This is a timely and welcomed addition to scholarly discussions and political debates examining the last 100 years of birth control discourse that has brought us to today—a time when reproductive options (e.g., birth control and abortion) are constantly attacked. Individuals interested in reproductive justice, women’s history, and political discourse will generally find this monograph a much needed and groundbreaking addition to understanding the ‘big picture’ view of the movement and the lingering consequences of their rhetoric for the vast stakeholders involved.”

  • Emily Winderman, University of Minnesota

    “In The Battle for Birth Control: Exploring the Lasting Consequences of the Movement’s Early Rhetoric, Furgerson draws upon extensive archival materials to trace the rhetorical foundations and ideological commitments of the twentieth-century birth control movement. With careful attention to the rhetorical strategies that connected contraception to maternalism, child welfare, suffrage, sexual liberation, medicalization, and eugenics, Furgerson details the lasting consequences of the movement’s rhetorical appeals.”

  • Robyn L. Rosen, Marist College

    “Activists and academics will find something valuable here. Furgerson’s analysis of the rhetorical choices made by birth control pioneers is both insightful and deeply contextualized. In this way, the author is able to simultaneously explain why decisions were made in the past without losing sight of the negative implications of those decisions on the trajectory of the movement.”

  • Rebecca Mercado Jones, Oakland University

    “The Battle for Birth Control is an insightful treatise on the long, historical but seemingly never-ending fight for bodily autonomy. This book teaches us a great deal about the legacy left by the early birth controllers and how their rhetoric shapes contemporary arguments surrounding choice and control over reproduction.”

  • Rickie Solinger, co-author of Reproductive Justice: An Introduction

    “Jessica L. Furgerson gives us a necessary and pointed study of early birth control rhetoric and its tortuous and enduring afterlife.”