{"id":839,"date":"2025-04-24T15:09:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T19:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/?post_type=csat-story-chapter&p=839"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:17:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T20:17:23","slug":"1950s-access-to-early-birth-control-in-canada","status":"publish","type":"csat-story-chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/en\/story\/1950s-access-to-early-birth-control-in-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"1950s – Access to Early Birth Control in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
\r\t\t\t\t
\r\t\t\t
\r\t\t\t\t\n
\n

If you wanted to know how to prevent a pregnancy, you talked to your friends or you talked to your mother, but you certainly didn\u2019t go talk to your doctor about it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\r\r\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

― Dr. Marion Powell on how young women used to learn about birth control<\/cite>\r\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\r\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\r\r\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n
\t
\n\t\t\n
\n
\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Canada enacted its first Criminal Code in 1892, birth control became illegal. It was now against the law to sell, distribute, and advertise any \u201cmedicine, drug or article\u201d intended to prevent a pregnancy or cause an abortion. It was even illegal to provide birth control information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the law did not discourage everyone. Some women found creative ways of taking control of their own fertility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n
\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVoir la vid\u00e9o — What do you know about sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada? <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Black\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Take our quiz. How much do you know about the history of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada?<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n
\t
\n\t\t\n
\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVoir la vid\u00e9o — Dr. Marion Powell talks about the accessibility of birth control in the 1950s <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Black\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Listen to Dr. Marion Powell talk about her early work in women’s reproductive health.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n
\n
\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Women who were sexually active, but did not want to become pregnant, used a variety of practices. These methods were passed down from generations of women. This included withdrawal, extending breastfeeding after a baby, pessaries, and homemade douches, suppositories, spermicides, and potions. Sadly, some of these methods proved to be ineffective, and, in some cases, dangerous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n
\t
\n\t\t\n
\n
\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although selling birth control was illegal, it was still available. It was just hidden in plain sight. People used code words like \u00ab\u00a0feminine hygiene\u00a0\u00bb or \u00ab\u00a0marriage hygiene\u00a0\u00bb for birth control. It was often sold in places where women commonly shopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the decades, it became easier for married women to access birth control. Especially for married women who had private doctors, money, and knowledge of these services. Also, authorities usually didn’t hassle married women who attended early birth control clinics. As Dr. Marion Powell explained, \u201cthose women who were fortunate enough to have a physician who was sensitive to their family planning needs were given a reliable method of birth control such as the Pill, IUD or diaphragm\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n
\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tD\u00e9tails de l’image — <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\"A\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Rendall’s [RENDELL’S] Wife’s Friend Pessaries listing in the Eaton’s catalogue, 1907.\r\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n
\t
\n\t\t\n
\t
\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVoir la vid\u00e9o — Dr. Marion Powell talks about early birth control in Canada <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Black\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Listen to Dr. Marion Powell talk about early methods birth control and how they were made available in Canada. <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n
\n
\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, not all women had access to safe and effective birth control. Women who were young, unmarried, and had limited financial resources did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Powell believed that this system was unfair. Birth control needed to be legalized and available to everyone in Canada.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tD\u00e9tails de l’image —<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Brown\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tD\u00e9tails de l’image —<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tD\u00e9tails de l’image —<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGalerie compl\u00e8te<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":2357,"template":"","class_list":["post-839","csat-story-chapter","type-csat-story-chapter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":839,"fr":3322},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/csat-story-chapter\/839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/csat-story-chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/csat-story-chapter"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/csat-story-chapter\/839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3094,"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/csat-story-chapter\/839\/revisions\/3094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.histoiresdecheznous.ca\/v3\/dr-marion-powell-canada-birth-control_regulation-des-naissances\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}