Planned Parenthood Celebrates 70 Years of Keeping Austin Healthy

Austin, Texas — Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region is celebrating 70 years of “Keeping Austin Healthy” in 2008 with special events and activities to highlight the history and growth of Planned Parenthood in Austin.

In its 70 years in Austin, Planned Parenthood has grown from a tiny, volunteer-run clinic that provided birth control to 51 women in its first year, to a full-time professional nonprofit organization that provides preventive and reproductive health care to 26,000 men, women and adolescents each year with a $6 million annual budget.

Founded by prominent community leaders such as Lillian Bedichek (wife of naturalist Roy Bedichek), and Ouida Nalle (the daughter of Texas Governors “Ma” and “Pa” Ferguson), Planned Parenthood was formed to provide birth control information and services to low-income, married women at a time when birth control was not readily available and bans on birth control had only recently been struck down (1936 U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit ruling, U.S. v. One Package of Japanese Pessaries).

Since then, Planned Parenthood has grown and expanded to provide a full range of birth control, vasectomies, sexually transmitted infection screening and testing for men and women, breast health exams, rapid HIV testing for men and women, colposocopy and cryotherapy to treat abnormal cervical cells, well woman exams, and more.

Highlights of Planned Parenthood’s celebration of 70 years of “Keeping Austin Healthy” include:
• Donor appreciation reception on February 22nd with release of a commemorative poster of Planned Parenthood’s growth and history;
• Special reception for community members at Planned Parenthood’s newly renovated Downtown Clinic on April 23rd;
• Client appreciation day featuring “thank you” gifts and $.70 birth control (on 2nd pack for any clients purchasing one month supply of birth control) on June 28th;
• and additional special events TBA.

Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading and most trusted sexual and reproductive health care provider. Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region's three Austin clinics provide high-quality health care and education to more than 26,000 clients in Central Texas each year.