Modern birth control went through many hurdles before becoming available to the public. In the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries, birth control and contraceptives were social issues fraught with controversy. This reaction led to the passage of legislation (e.g., the Comstock Law) that prohibited people, including doctors, from talking about contraceptives on grounds of obscenity (Bone, 2010). For much of the 20th century, birth control training and counseling were legally excluded as part of what a nurse's responsibilities and practice should be (Lagerwey, 1999). Despite this, nurses have played a huge role in the movement to improve education and availability for birth control. Eventually these limits on reproductive rights would lead to a countercultural movement fighting for the right to discuss contraceptives and “birth control,” a term coined by activist Margaret Sanger. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Margaret Sanger was a pioneer of the reproductive rights movement and advocated for birth control awareness and availability in the United States. As a nurse midwife, Sanger sympathized with the plight of the low-class women she served (Wardell, 1980). During the 1910s he began writing about birth control methods and published numerous pamphlets and articles on the subject. She has been targeted by the US government and its obscenity laws, leading her to face a multitude of legal battles over the years. After fleeing legal persecution in the United States to Europe, Margaret Sanger learned about “modern” contraceptive practices from European health clinics and brought this information back to America (Takeuchi-Demirci, 2010). In 1916, Margaret Sanger opened the first birth center in the United States. control clinic, but was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 30 days in prison for “public nuisance” (Lagerwey, 1999). Despite this, she persevered in her activism and led the fight for birth control. She founded the American Birth Control League in 1921, which later changed its name to become the Planned Parenthood Federation of America organization in 1942 (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). Planned Parenthood is still active over 100 years later and is the largest provider of reproductive health services in the United States (Planned Parenthood, 2016). In 1938, a judge struck down the federal ban on birth control (Thompson, 2013). This has led to the popularity of diaphragms as a form of birth control. Diaphragms are a vaginal barrier device made of a silicone or rubber dome that is used with a spermicide and inserted into the vagina (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). When in place inside the vagina, it covers the cervix and prevents sperm from entering the uterus. Using spermicide provides additional protection by causing sperm to stop moving, further preventing them from entering the uterus and causing pregnancy. The typical user diaphragm failure rate is estimated to be approximately 12%, with the majority of failures being due to improper use (Hyde & DeLamater, 2014). The main side effects of the diaphragm are possible irritation of the vagina or penis due to the spermicide used. Today's most common counterparts to the diaphragm are the FemCap and the Sponge. In the early 20th century, European scientists were conducting experiments exploring the effect of the hormone progesterone on ovulation (Dhont,.