A major anniversary in the history of women’s reproductive health has just been celebrated. June 7 was the 48th anniversary of the 1965 Supreme Court ruling, Griswold v. Connecticut, which found that married couples have the right to contraception. Forty-eight years after this decision, 99 percent of women say they have used birth control at some point in their lives.
For me, it has a personal note. I was a young bride 48 years ago when we moved into our apartment in New Jersey. I set about finding a gynecologist, and I still remember calling to make the appointment and having the doctor say he would not provide birth control for me. It was not an option. I was so taken aback and rather anxious, as we wanted to plan our family. We did find good medical help, but it was having options to choose from that was and still is so very important. Thanks to this landmark decision, women have had many more options for higher education, better jobs with better incomes, and family and career choices. Let us celebrate this landmark decision for its positive effect on women, men and families in our country. Janie Schildge Colts Neck