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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Communication

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Selected Works

2015

Birth control

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Wicked Or Warranted? Us Press Coverage Of Contraception 1873-1917, Ana Garner Mar 2015

Wicked Or Warranted? Us Press Coverage Of Contraception 1873-1917, Ana Garner

Ana Garner

This study examines the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times press coverage of contraception during one key period: 1873–1917. The first 30 years after the passage of the Comstock Act in 1873 were difficult for contraception advocates. The New York Times narrative reflected a battle between those who supported the Comstock Act and the men and women who opposed it. Conversely, the Los Angeles Times narrative portrayed the birth control debate as a wide-ranging battle of ideas occurring in a variety of venues. Press coverage revealed that the use of birth control was common and the real debate …


The Never-Ending Struggle: Us Press Coverage Of Contraception 2000–2013, Ana Garner, Edgar Mendez Mar 2015

The Never-Ending Struggle: Us Press Coverage Of Contraception 2000–2013, Ana Garner, Edgar Mendez

Ana Garner

In 1873, the Comstock Act labeled contraceptive information and materials obscene and banned their distribution. The issue divided the United States then, and it divides the nation today. This essay examines 2000–2013 press coverage of contraception in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, two newspapers that have covered contraception since 1873. Press coverage reveals that contemporary efforts to regulate women’s bodies are cloaked in discussions about the Affordable Care Act, religious freedom, morality, and employer rights. Accepting the ideology that contraception is no longer a reproductive rights issue allowed the press to exclude women from …