“Family Planning” is often advocated for on the grounds that many people do not want many children, but the truth is the opposite–at least, until the propaganda is brought to bear on them. The need for this propaganda was recognized early, as this quote illustrates.
Richard B. Gamble writes in the foreword (1977) of the biography of his father, Clarence Gamble, this:
My father might not recognize the field of family planning today. So much has changed. In most countries it is no longer a question of whether to offer family planning services but how to do it so that as many people as possible can be reached effectively and efficiently. Increasing numbers of people are concerned about population size and growth. It may not be enough for every child to be a wanted child. The tradition for many people has been to want many children, but unless the average couple has only two children continued population growth may preclude successful economic development and make impossible and improved quality of life, both in the United States and in other countries. Unless people, women in particular, can achieve happiness in ways other than having many children, excessive birth rates may well continue to be the norm. Women must be able to find fulfillment and satisfaction in roles other than being mothers of large families.
Italics in the original. Bold is added.
Every Child a Wanted Child: Clarence James Gamble, M.D., and His Work in the Birth Control Movement by Doone and Greer Williams, edited by Emily P. Flint. (1978)
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