Margaret Sanger, "Is Sex Overrated?," 26 Apr 1941.

Source: "Margaret Sanger Papers, Library of CongressLibrary of Congress Microfilm 117:0499."

This statement was released by the Birth Control Federation of America. For an earlier draft, see Margaret Sanger Microfilm, Smith College Collections S77:43.

“Is sex overrated? How can anyone think it is when the world’s best minds agree that it is the compelling ↑impelling↓ force behind many of our most important spiritual and cultural advances? When thousands of records in our divorce courts testify to the abysmal ignorance of hundreds of husbands toward women and wives toward men? When scientific sex education would mean fewer imbecilic, sickly, and unwanted children? And when such knowledge would help prevent human suffering and unnecessary waste of life? Sex overrated? I think not. It is not less sex knowledge but more, far more, that is needed. ‘Let knowledge grow from more to more and more of reverence in us dwell.’”

--MARGARET SANGER
Honorary Chairman
Birth Control Federation of America

Subject Terms:

• mentally disabled and diseased, birth control and
• physically disabled and diseased, birth control and
• population growth, standard of living and
• sex education
• sex education, need for

Copyright, Margaret Sanger Project