Birth control and abortion debates haven't always looked the way they do today

Here is a fascinating article about the history of birth control in the US. Apparently it used to be illegal to give out information on birth control- it was considered an obscenity. Birth control advocates got caught up in debates with eugenics advocates. Churches have sometimes promoted it, sometimes rejected it.

"I think a lot of [how issues like birth control and abortion became partisan] comes from moral posturing around this issue. I think we would do better if we could have these conversations outside of a partisan arena where there is far too much to gain by making these issues partisan," she says. "You can track over American history how much people have gained by staking out these partisan positions, and I think it's a real tragedy."