This episode steps back in time, to the origins of the fight for birth control. It wasn't led by one woman - it was shaped by a fierce rivalry between two: Margaret Sanger, who founded Planned Parenthood, and an overlooked figure from history, Mary Ware Dennett, who was the first person to ever take reproductive rights to Washington. Their different visions for birth control - and their bitter personal conflict - created the movement we know today. Author Stephanie Gorton reveals how this hidden history still matters, 100 years later.

The episode is based on 'The Icon and the Idealist, Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America'

More on Stephanie Gorton's work here. 

What to listen to next: The dark history of the Dalkon Shield IUD, with Chikako Takeshita.

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Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer.

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