The Sex Side of Life: Mary Ware Dennett’s Pioneering Battle for Birth Control and Sex Education

The publication of Constance M. Chen’s The Sex Side of Life rescued from obscurity the life and accomplishments of an extraordinary woman: Mary Ware Dennett, suffragette, leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement, peace activist, and crusader for the right to obtain and distribute information about contraception.

In her battle to make birth control information accessible to all, Dennett tangled both with reluctant Congressmen and Margaret Sanger. She was brought to trial in a landmark censorship case surrounding the sex education pamphlet The Sex Side of Life, which she wrote for her sons.

At a time when family planning information and the Draconian communication laws are at the center of national debates, this biography is as timely and important as ever.