If Marie Stopes (1880-1958) were alive today, one wonders what she would think of the hundreds of abortion clinics across the world bearing her name, considering that she was against abortion. What she did pioneer was bringing education on birth control to public attention, as she felt that this was the proper way to regulate family size.

Her career began in palaeobotany and she published ‘Ancient Plants’ in 1910. She then became interested in eugenics ~ biological improvement ~ and, although she did not agree with all of their views, bequeathed her clinics to the Eugenics Society (now called the Galton Institute). She published ‘Married Love’ and ‘Wise Parenthood’ in 1918, which were very successful and led to her being sought out for advice on sexual matters.

Her first clinic, opened in 1921, was called the Mothers’ Clinic for Constructive Birth Control and it dispensed free contraceptive assistance. By 1925 there were six such clinics around the country. This was a breakthrough in what was then a taboo subject. Since her death, the 1967 Abortion Act has made terminations legal under certain circumstances, except in Northern Ireland. Today, Marie Stopes UK and Marie Stopes International clinics all provide abortions and vasectomies as their main activities.

(Image of poor British family pre-WW1: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain)