The Montreal Health Press' First Birth Control Handbooks PHOTO CREDIT: Lynn Gariépy

The Montreal Health Press (MHP) published handbooks on sexuality and women's health for over 30 years. The MHP's first “Birth Control Handbook” in 1968 advocated for radical gender equality within this chapter of the late 1960s' New Left movement.

The nascent Montreal Health Press' early distribution methods and editorial choices allowed the authors to frame sexual health as a feminist issue: the authors further underscored their message through diverse advocacy methods such as consciousness-raising and engagement in late 1960s’ political discourse. The editors’ concerted publishing and political acts helped define women's health needs outside of traditional medical paradigms and proved integral to the development of the women's health movement in North America.

Beginnings

The McGill University Student Society redressed what it viewed as an under-serviced and vital aspect of student health when undergraduate student, Peter Foster, moved that students had the right to access contraceptive devices and information on birth control (Sethna 2006, 92).

The students subsequently formed a Birth Control Committee, consulting McGill University gynecologist, Dr Robert Kinch, for medical content. The students then compiled their results into a 38-page booklet, printed in Montreal on inexpensive newsprint.

The booklet provided students with a comprehensive guide on the use of various contraceptive devices and introduced them to Canadian abortion law and to social issues related to unplanned pregnancy and illegal abortion.

Feingold, Allan, ed.-in-chief. 1969. Birth Control Handbook. Cover photograph, from Women's movement monograph collection. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

In its first printing, the authors distributed around 17,000 copies of the Handbook, mostly on local university campuses; by 1973 demand for the "Birth Control Handbook" had surged in both American and Canadian contexts. Approximately a million copies were sold each year, at cost, (not-for-profit) to clinics and health organizations in Canada and in the United States ("The McGill Daily" March 6, 1986, 3; October 24, 1968).

Cherniak, Donna, and Allan Feingold, eds. 1970. Birth Control Handbook. Montreal Health Press fonds, 10-093-S4-F4-I1. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

The student publishers were politically motivated in their distribution and content choices. The early 1970s’ publications bore the logo of a serpent-entwined fist with the slogan "Medicine for the People" or "Medicine Populaire." The symbol united medical and socialist symbols, as it evoked the Caduceus or Rod of Asclepius symbols, traditionally associated with medicine and healing. The student editors also hired the unionized group, Interlitho Inc., to print their work, and included its logo, "Confédération des syndicats nationaux" (CSN) on subsequent inner covers (Cherniak 1984, 2).

Left to right: cover of Maladies transmises sexuellement with MHP logo. Caduceus symbol (Wikimedia Commons) similar to one used by US Army medical officers. Poster at right uses a raised fist to advertise a 1912 mass strike in Budapest, Hungary (Wikimedia Commons).

"VD Handbook" item description

Text & Context

The Handbook publication and the editors' political stance represented a radical feminist position that necessarily put the authors in conflict with conservative contemporary values. Prior to 1969 abortion and the dissemination of information on contraception were illegal under Canada’s Criminal Code, making the publication of the first "Birth Control Handbook" illegal.

The editors' commentary, interviews, and introduction criticized predominant contemporary attitudes towards women’s sexuality, unplanned pregnancy, and abortion. In campus interviews the editors advocated for women's right to control their own bodies and sexual lives ("Public Address" February 21, 1968, 3; "The McGill Daily" February 7, 1968, 4; October 24, 1968, 6). The Handbook editors also reprinted an article addressing the prevalence of contemporary illegal abortions within Montreal; while McGill University lecturer, Donald Kingsbury, writes: "Very probably the major health problem at McGill is pregnancy—nobody knows. The McGill Health Service doesn't know and isn't ready to find out" (1969, 33). The McGill lecturer further critiques university, medical, religious, and political establishments for their hypocrisy in driving young women to undergo dangerous and illegal abortions.

Feingold, Allan, ed.-in-chief. 1969. Birth Control Handbook. Inner page, from Women's movement monograph collection. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

Population Control

The students’ editorial stance met with both success and controversy, evident especially in the authors’ position vis-à-vis the population control movement. In the 1960s and 1970s the popularity of the movement had resulted in unethical medical practices, including the use of coercive and dangerous birth control methods and sterilization practices within developing countries (Connelly 2008).

The first several editions of the "Birth Control Handbook" implied support for the population control movement: one photograph depicts a crowd of Black individuals with instructions on how to take the birth control pill (Sethna 2006, 99). The “Birth Control Handbook” editors conducted further research and pivoted to become vehement critics of the population control movement, especially for its racist aspects.

Le contrôle des naissances, 1995, photograph of cover 10-093-S4-F2-I2, University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

"Le contrôle des naissances" item description

In their August 1970 issue of the "Birth Control Handbook," the editors critiqued the population control movement as the outcome of a colonialist mentality: “The Population Explosion is only a threat to the supremacy of white nations which today, as in the past, are raping the Third World for wealth, resources and human potential” (Cherniak and Feingold 1970, 2). The editors decry the Vietnam War as an extreme type of population control (3). The authors had reversed their editorial stance to expose the inherent racism in contemporary fears of the supposed population explosion.

The Handbook’s socialist rhetoric and its opposition to the population control movement met with resistance in various academic and medical establishments. Administrative figures within Princeton University were pressured to apologize for allowing the Handbook to be distributed among Princeton dormitories. The Princeton scandal related not to the work's sexual content, but rather to its anti-imperialist, anti-American commentary ("Time" April 30, 1973). Several North American cities: including Pembroke, Ontario and Miami, Florida, banned the Handbook. In 1969, Montreal institutions such as the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Family Planning Association of Montreal returned the “Birth Control Handbook,” protesting its critique of the population control movement (“The McGill Daily” September 15, 1969).

Birth Control Handbook. 1970. Montreal Health Press fonds, 10-093-S4-F4-I1. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

Press Activism

Despite the Handbooks’ distribution success, the student publishers maintained their underground status rather than partner with mainstream publishers. McGill University student committee editors, Donna Cherniak and Allan Feingold, were joined by Shirley Gardiner in founding the Montreal Health Press/Les Presses de la santé de Montréal, in 1972. Marilyn Bicher also soon became a member of the Montreal Health Press, followed by Janet Torge and, later, by Judith Lermer Crawley (Sethna 2006, 106-107). The young editors applied their activism to different arenas within Montreal, including providing the city with its first abortion referral service ("The McGill Daily" March 6, 1986).

The editors collaborated with like-minded feminist groups such as the Montreal Women's Liberation Movement (MWLM), which was involved in consciousness-raising activities and in linking women's liberation to control over their sexual lives.

The MWLM distributed the "Birth Control Handbook" in Montreal high schools and referred women to the Handbook in their search for information on birth control, situating the work within wider discourses on gender and sexual equality ("Montreal Women's Liberation Newsletter" March 1970, 5; "The McGill Daily" November 17, 1971, 1-2). The Handbook’s August 1970 introduction encourages women to get in touch with editors—positioning the Handbook as one of several related means of advocating for women's sexual health and social equality (Cherniak and Feingold 1970, 3).

Photo credit: Lermer Crawley, Judith. 1983. Photograph of women and men walking in a busy city district, first published in A Book About Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Montreal Health Press fonds, 10-093-S6-F51-I5. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

The authors also embarked on a significant partnership with francophone feminists to ensure they addressed sexual health within Québécois contexts. Cherniak and Feingold commissioned francophone Montrealers to translate the "Birth Control Handbook" into "Pour un contrôle des naissances," in 1970. Renée Gélinas and Lisette Girouard were among the first translators; their introductions spoke to the repressive influence of religious institutions and the relationship between contemporary Québec nationalisms and women's liberation (Sethna 2006, 107; Cherniak, Feingold and Gélinas 1975, 3).

The Montreal Health Press was ground-breaking in centering medical information in human relationships. The Birth Control Handbook encouraged communication between partners: about feelings, consent, contraception, protection from infection, gender roles, and financial issues. The texts went beyond anatomical and physiological explanations of the human body, situating sexual health in socio-political contexts.

The linking of women’s health with wider social and economic conditions was integral to the women’s health movement, as it was developing in Canada. According to Boscoe et al., activists within the women's health movement were treating women's health as requiring more comprehensive approaches than those offered by the medical establishment: “We came to recognize the impact of issues such as violence and racism on our health ... We understood that women’s health is a political, social and economic matter” (2004, 7).movement “… came to recognize the impact of issues such as violence and racism on our health ... We understood that women’s health is a political, social and economic matter” (7).

Crédit photo : Pierre Brault, Le contrôle des naissances, November 1980, University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

The organization’s drawings and photographs also highlighted contemporary social issues that impacted women’s health and sexuality. The drawings included whole-body figures, rather than part anatomical representations to humanize aspects of contraception, birth control, and abortion. The work featured photography that encapsulated complex themes such as family planning, romantic relationships, sexuality, sexual aggression, exploitation, and motherhood. The publications included positive images of motherhood and women’s sexuality in contrast to hyper-sexualized and often negative representations of women predominant within media.

Top and bottom right: Lermer Crawley, Judith. 1977, 1990. Photographs for Montreal Health Press publications, Montreal Health Press fonds, 10-093-S6-F39-I2, 10-093-S6-F27-I1. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections. Bottom left: Bertra, Monique and Dominique Malaterre. [1980]. Photograph of group of women at Take Back the Night demonstration, Montreal Health Press fonds, 10-093-S6-F3-I4. University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

The publication of the first "Birth Control Handbook" in 1968 pre-dated the Boston collective’s renowned self-published book: "Our Bodies, Ourselves." By writing a populous and widely distributed work, engaging in diverse forms of activisms, and contextualizing sexuality and health, The Montreal Health Press empowered women to take control of their own sexual health. The MHP's strategy for dissemination of health information proved especially fruitful in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where mobilization and collaborative work precipitated the distribution of millions of copies of Montreal Health Press Handbooks.

In the decades that followed its first publications, the Montreal Health Press addressed subjects that were traditionally ignored or stigmatized by mainstream society: including menopause, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual assault.

The organization did not comment extensively on legislation or issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity, although same-sex couples were represented in Handbook photography. Subsequent to funding cut-backs and concerted efforts to continue operations, the collective disbanded after the release of its millennium issues in 2000.

Photograph of members of the Montreal Health Press, 10-093-S6-F22, University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.

Explore Montreal Health Press Titles

Located in the University of Ottawa's Women's Archives Online

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Exhibit created by: Archivist, Mary Catherine Shea, with translations by Marie Noël

Special thanks to the former members of the Montreal Health Press (MHP) who contributed their time and feedback to this exhibit. Thanks also to Professor Christabelle Sethna and archivist, Lucie Desjardins, who worked with MHP members to secure the archives for the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Ottawa.

Copyright Disclaimer: Permission to display and share this content has been obtained where possible, however, the University of Ottawa does not represent or guarantee this to be the case for every individual item. You agree that any use of this content will be at your sole risk, and that the University of Ottawa will not be responsible or liable for any damages that may occur dur to your use. If you are the owner of content that you believe is improperly attributed or being used without permission, please contact ddac@uottawa.ca with your detailed concerns.

References

“Anti-Birth Book Rebuffed.” 1969. The McGill Daily, September 15, 1969, Vol. 59, No. 001.

Basen, Gwynne, Susan White, Barbara Bourrier-Lacroix, Madeline Boscoe, and Ghislaine Alleyne. 2004. “The Women’s Health Movement in Canada Looking Back and Moving Forward.” Canadian Woman Studies 24, no. 1 (2004): 7–13.

Cherniak, Donna, and Allan Feingold, eds. August 1970. Birth Control Handbook. 4th Edition (revised). Montreal: Arts and Science Undergraduate Society of McGill University.

Cherniak, Donna, and Allan Feingold. April 1977. VD Handbook. 3rd ed. Montreal: Montreal Health Press.

Cherniak, Donna, Allan Feingold, and Renée Gelinas. March 1975. Petit manuel de la contraception. 3e éd. Montreal: Presses de la santé de Montréal.

Cherniak, Donna. Winter 1984. A Book About Birth Control. 3rd ed. Montreal: Montreal Health Press Inc.

“Distribution of the Birth Control Book Proceeds Smoothly.” 1968. The McGill Daily, October 24, 1968, Vol. 58, No. 018.

Feingold, Allan, ed.-in-chief. January 1969. The Birth Control Handbook. 2nd edition. Montreal: Students' Society of McGill University.

Kaler, Amy. “Ex-McGilligans Revolutionize Birth Control.” 1986. The McGill Daily, March 6, 1986, Vol. 75, No.063.

Kingsbury, Donald, Allan Feingold, Peter Forster, and Nicole Leduc. “Letters.” The McGill Daily, February 7, 1968, Vol. 57, no. No. 075.

Mills, Sean. 2010. The Empire Within: Postcolonial Thought and Political Activism in Sixties Montreal. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.

“PA Talks to Nicole Leduc: Sexy Prexy Speaks Out.” 1968. Public Address, February 21, 1968, Vol. 01, No.006.

“A Pill in Time Saves Nine.” 1968. The McGill Daily, January 22, 1968, Vol. 57, No. 063.

Sethna, Christabelle. 2006. “The Evolution of the Birth Control Handbook: From Student Peer-Education Manual to Feminist Self-Empowerment Text, 1968–1975.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 23, no. 1 (2006): 89–117. https://doi.org/10.3138/cbmh.23.1.89.

Sherman, Rita. “It's about Time: Birth Control Handbook. Published by the Student's Society of McGill University and Distributed Free to Students at Montreal's English-language universities, 38 pp.” 1968. The McGill Daily, October 24, 1968, Vol.58, No. 018.

“Women Secede from MWL.” 1971. The McGill Daily, November 17, 1971, Vol. 061, No.044.

Wynn, L. 1970. “Montreal Women's Liberation Newsletter,” March 1970.

Yale students. 1973. “Education: Sex and Mao At Princeton.” Time, April 30, 1973. http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,907124-2,00.html.

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