State Representative Noreen Kokoruda was invited on June 12 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Griswold v. CT, a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court and resulted in the explicit protection by the court of the access to contraceptives under the right to privacy.

Connecticut state law at the time, in 1961, banned the distribution and use of contraceptives. Estelle Griswold, executive director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, and a physician who operated a Planned Parenthood clinic were both criminally prosecuted for violating this law by providing married women with contraceptives. This case laid the foundation for future Supreme Court cases, and opened as essential door for the expansion of reproductive health services for women and their families.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named family planning, including access to contraception, as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

“This case established a lasting precedent regarding privacy and reproductive health,” said Rep. Kokoruda. “This anniversary stands as a reminder for all the ways legal contraception has changed American lives in a positive way.

“It is important to remember the vital role that contraception plays in our lives and how it has transformed women’s health outcomes, educational attainment and economic opportunity,” said Rep. Kokoruda. “As advocates, state and local officials, it’s critical that we listen to what most women are saying and doing about contraception; most women understand that access to contraceptives plays an essential role in improving our community health as well as the future economic opportunities of families. Although we have made significant progress over the last 50 years, our job is not yet done.”

Rep. Kokoruda represents the 101st District communities of Durham and Madison.