Planned Parenthood is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of family planning services. The work of Planned Parenthood began in New York in 1916 by a nurse named Margaret Sanger. She helped to bring birth control education and methods to women who were faced with many pregnancies, many children, and often not enough money.
The Atlanta, Georgia affiliate of Planned Parenthood began in 1964. In 1930, a Planned Parenthood affiliate was created in Birmingham, Alabama, the oldest in the Southeast. Services were added in Mississippi in 1989 and all three states joined forces in 2010 under the name Planned Parenthood Southeast.
Planned Parenthood’s mission is to provide voluntary family planning services and education that enhance personal and social understanding of human sexuality. We advocate public policies that guarantee reproductive rights and access to health care. And, we support and encourage advances in reproductive technology.
