One Wisconsin Now

On June 7, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut. This landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision paved the way for recognition that birth control is basic health care for women. The 1965 ruling marked the first time that the Supreme Court recognized that women's reproductive decisions are protected by the Constitution and paved the way for the almost universal acceptance of contraception that now exists in this country. However, many women still face barriers in accessing affordable health care, including access to birth control and family planning services.

Griswold v. Connecticut is a powerful reminder about the importance of access to birth control. Four decades later, too few women and couples have comprehensive, affordable access to contraception and family planning services. As America's leading reproductive health care advocate and provider, Planned Parenthood knows that prevention is the key to building strong, healthy families.

Griswold v. Connecticut was the first in a long line of Supreme Court cases that established the constitutional right of women to plan and space healthy, wanted pregnancies, including Eisenstadt v. Baird, which extended the right to use birth control to unmarried women, and Roe v. Wade, which guarantees women the right to choose abortion free from unwarranted governmental intrusion.

It is imperative that politicians support access to birth control. That's why PPAWI has launched a campaign to educate voters about John McCain's true stance on women's health issues. Birth control is basic health care. Yet, Senator McCain has consistently opposed programs that provide access to affordable contraception for low-income families and ensure that insurance companies cover the cost of contraceptives. Wisconsin voters need to know McCain and his extremist views before casting their vote in November.