North Texas

In both Dallas (1935) and Fort Worth (1938), volunteers inspired by Margaret Sanger's work formed local affiliates to provide information and contraceptives to low-income, married women in North Texas. In both communities, volunteer physicians provided the services.

As time moved on, both affiliates enjoyed rapid growth. By the end of the century, the Dallas affiliate was operating 19 clinics throughout Northeast Texas, and the Fort Worth affiliate was operating eight clinics in Tarrant and Johnson Counties.

In 1999, the boards of the two organizations began strategic planning for the future of reproductive health care in North Texas. On March 31, 2000, the two affiliates formally merged. The combined 27 clinics served more than 65,000 clients annually in 13 North Texas counties. The new affiliate was able to provide education and act as a stronger advocate for the clients who use Planned Parenthood’s services.