On June 7, 1965, by a vote of 7-2, the Supreme Court struck down a Connecticut statute that prohibited the use of contraceptives, holding the statute violated the constitutional right to marital privacy. Griswold v. Connecticut has long been considered a fundamental bedrock of modern constitutional law, but it is under increasing attack from radical right politicians and anti-choice pressure groups.

NARAL Pro-Choice America issued States of Denial: 40 Years After Griswold v. Connecticut, Privacy and Birth Control at Risk Once Again, which shows a disturbing trend of pharmacies and 15 state legislatures restricting women’s access to birth control.

The report also unveils new polling data showing the remarkable breadth of opposition to blocking birth control access, with 80% of the public, including three-quarters of those who oppose a woman's right to choose, believing that pharmacists must fill all prescriptions.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the organization would continue to fight the assault on privacy. She said in a tribute to the Griswold decision NARAL Pro-Choice America is targeting the nation’s five largest retail pharmacies. Activists can access a printable letter on the group’s web site and take it into their local pharmacies to request they uphold women’s access to birth control.

“The ‘States of Denial’ report is a wakeup call. We know that Americans value the culture of freedom and personal responsibility, and they see the radical right’s effort to block women’s access to birth control as an assault on the right to privacy,” Keenan said. “The anti birth control leaders are determined to take the battle over personal privacy and reproductive freedom to the pharmacy counter, and we will fight them every step of the way. Our goal is to preserve the constitutionally protected right to privacy for Griswold’s 40th anniversary and beyond.”