Dr. Marion Powell talks about birth control and the Criminal Code in Canada

An interview with Dr. Marion Powell talking about birth control and the Criminal Code in Canada.

Duration: 1:23 minutes.

[Title card reads: Dr. Marion Powell talks about birth control and the Criminal Code in Canada] [An older woman wearing a blue blazer and colourful scarf is seated in front of a bookcase. She is speaking to an interviewer who is off camera.] The Pill came along, of course it was a tremendous advance. Suddenly we had, we thought the ultimate answer to birth control. We thought that we’d never need to worry about unplanned or unwanted pregnancies again. And the Pill became available, was legally approved in Canada in the early 60s about 1963. And it was still against, it was still in the Criminal Code. One wasn’t allowed to legally prescribe birth control which meant there was no government support of birth control programs. And we opened a clinic in Scarborough in the Public Health Department in mid 60s and that was when I really became involved in a much larger way with birth control, birth control clinics. And it was interesting the first few years that we were open we only saw married women who’d had a number of children. The police chief came around and said don’t, as long as you don’t see single women, you’re fine. So, we didn’t worry about it, and it was only a matter of two or three years until our entire clinic was, they were single and getting younger and younger and we used to say if they’re old enough to get pregnant, they are old enough to know how not to.