Marie Stopes SA ensures women have control over fertility, health
WITH National Women’s Month also serving as a celebration of those who have played a part in fighting for women’s rights, freedom and equality, it is fitting to pay tribute to Dr Marie Stopes, who was a pioneer in providing family planning services and an avid campaigner for women’s rights.
Born in 1880 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr Stopes became interested in female sexuality following the annulment of her first marriage on the grounds of non-consummation. She recognised that if she – a university educated, middle-class woman – could lack all knowledge of sexual issues, then poor, less educated women must be even worse off.
After authoring a book titled Married Love on the topic (which was condemned by churches, the medical establishment and the press) thousands of women wrote to ask for advice. This prompted her to publish a second book, Wise Parenthood, and open the first family planning clinic with her second husband in London in 1921. It offered a free service to married women and also gathered data about contraception.
Stopes came under fire from the medical fraternity for being female, not medically qualified and for employing nurses, rather than doctors, to consult with her clients. Undeterred, she proved that a small team within simple, clean surroundings could provide services to poor women.
In 1925, other clinics opened across the country and by 1930, similar family planning organisations had been established that joined forces with Stopes. At around that time, she also laid the groundwork for the mobile outreach concept by adapting a horse-drawn caravan that she took to communities. This proved successful and she built up a small network of clinics across the UK.
Over the rest of her life, she tirelessly campaigned for women to have better access to birth control. Her work in this regard went a long way towards changing attitudes to contraception and making it more freely available. She passed away in 1958 from breast cancer.
Today, the centres that bear her name continue her work not only by empowering women to have children by choice, not chance, via services such as the provision of contraceptives and safe abortion care, but also by evolving their offerings in line with client needs, giving women control over their health and fertility.
At Marie Stopes SA, clients can access services that include pregnancy tests and scans; pap smears and cervical cancer screening; HIV counselling and testing; women’s wellness exams; and the screening and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – all within a non-judgmental, client-friendly environment.
In addition, Marie Stopes SA works with medical and business partners, other non-profits, academic institutions and civil society to enhance the equity and quality of sexual and reproductive health services. The organisation also works closely with the government in implementing the Contraception and Fertility Planning Policy, the National Strategy on HIV/Aids, TB and STIs, and the Integrated School Health Policy.
Plus, it has established a successful public-private partnership model with the government in the Western Cape at district and hospital level, with plans to expand these types of agreements across the country.
While attention is being placed on women this month, at Marie Stopes SA they are the focus all year round. For more information, visit https://www. mariestopes.org.za Veronica Mtsishie Senior Account Executive, Eclipse PR