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On this day in 1965, the Supreme Court first protected the right to contraception. A 7-2 decision, Griswold v. Connecticut was joined by justices appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike. It opened the door to a world in which people are free to form intimate relationships, lead healthy sexual lives, pursue educational and employment opportunities, and decide whether and when to become parents.

And yet now, 47 years later, contraception has become a hot button issue. Much of the recent discussion has consisted of rhetoric such as then-Presidential contender Rick Santorum鈥檚 that birth control is 鈥渘ot OK, because it鈥檚 a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be鈥�, or the Alliance Defense Fund鈥檚 assertion that providing insurance coverage for contraception 鈥減ropel[s] [us] down an anti-pregnancy path鈥�. On this anniversary, let鈥檚 celebrate with the facts:

Virtually all sexually active women use contraception over the course of their lives. The figure is consistent . It鈥檚 a basic part of modern American life. Politicians may not always know it, but women do.

Contraception is good for women鈥檚 health, and it鈥檚 good for the health of their families. Since Griswold, both maternal and infant mortality rates have declined. Controlling pregnancy spacing has positive effects on birth outcomes such as low birth-weight and premature birth. Pregnancy planning also helps women control a number of conditions that negatively impact their own health, such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. That鈥檚 why the Centers for Disease Control family planning as one of the 10 most significant public health achievements of the last century.

Contraception is good for women鈥檚 economic welfare. It allows women to make educational and employment choices that benefit themselves and their families; it has let more women enter the workforce and do better once they鈥檙e there. shows that access to birth control accounts for as much as 30 percent of 鈥渢he convergence of men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 earnings from 1990 to 2000.鈥� (A fact we might take extra note of, the week that the Paycheck Fairness Act once again got in the Senate.)

Contraception has done so much already, and thanks to the Obama administration鈥檚 new rules on insurance coverage, it鈥檚 about to become way more accessible and affordable for millions of women across the country. Join me in celebrating this Griswold anniversary by for standing by women and families in support of our health.

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