At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the movement for birth control began in the face of extreme hostility, even from the people it sought to help. Yet today the birth control movement has, for a large number of people, an undisputed and unassailable position in society as the prerequisite for social justice and well-being. Prophets and Priests relates how the pioneers of birth control worked with the zeal of religious reformers to bring about this extraordinary change of opinion and how they eventually achieved remarkable success. Above all, the author explains the driving motivation of the people involved, starting with the Neo-Malthusians, William Bradlaugh and Annie Besant, through the opinions and activities of Margaret Sanger and Marie Stopes to modern birth control activists. The author describes their attitude towards the poor and their shifting relationship with the feminists, the movements for social justice and the government. Lastly, this book! gives a faithful account of the social impact of birth control over the last thirty years.