ABSTRACT
Since at least the nineteenth century, contraceptive use in the United States has sparked debates over the individual and social implications of separating sex from reproduction. The social meanings of contraception varied widely over time, ranging from obscene and immoral to necessary for sexual and social liberation. While contraception is often regarded as a relatively modern aspect of family planning and feminist sexual liberation, histories of contraceptive use in the United States disclose how people have always sought to manage their reproduction. The Comstock Act and other legislative efforts to police the sexual and reproductive behavior of certain groups also made contraception a thing to be managed by the state. Moreover, it meant that feminists and birth control advocates would have to contend with both legal and social barriers in order to challenge the criminalization of contraception.
