A chronology of our milestones:

1926     Seven idealistic women begin the first birth control clinic in Pennsylvania to help poor women in Luzerne County.

1927     The Berks County Branch of the Pennsylvania Birth Control Federation begins providing medical services in a room in Reading’s Community General Hospital.

1932     The Maternal Health Society & Birth Control Clinic of Easton organizes.

1934     Monroe County’s first patient is registered. Volunteers drive patients to Easton’s clinic until a doctor is found to care for them in Monroe County.

1935     The Waverly Maternal Health Clinic opens “to extend knowledge of scientific birth control” to Lackawanna County.

1936     The Monroe County Medical Society is the first in the state to go on record in support of family planning as an accepted part of good medical practice. The Monroe County clinic gets its own physician and begins providing medical services in Stroudsburg.

1942     The National Birth Control League becomes the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

1947     Planned Parenthood of Berks County opens a fertility clinic as part of its family planning services.

1970     The Lehigh County Affiliate of PPFA is incorporated as an Information & Education Center.

1975   A fire guts the Planned Parenthood of Lackawanna County building over the weekend. By Monday morning, the clinic is in operation again in temporary headquarters in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

1976     Planned Parenthood of Northampton County opens a family planning center on the Lehigh University campus in Bethlehem.

1977     The Planned Parenthood Association of Lehigh County receives an affiliation change to include medical services.

1981     Planned Parenthood of Luzerne County opens the Hazleton Center.

1983     Planned Parenthood of Northampton County and Planned Parenthood Association of Lehigh County merge to become Planned Parenthood of the Lehigh Valley.

1985     Planned Parenthood of Lackawanna & Wyoming County and Planned Parenthood of Luzerne County merge to become Planned Parenthood of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

1986     Members of the Boards of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Berks County, Planned Parenthood of Lehigh Valley, Monroe County Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood of Northeastern Pennsylvania begin exploring the possibility of merger.

1987     March 1st, the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of North East Pennsylvania holds its first meeting, bringing the newly created affiliate into existence.

1989     HIV testing with counseling starts at all centers.

1993     Depo-Provera®, the three-month contraceptive injection, is added as another birth control option.

1996     Bethlehem Health Center relocates inside St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem Campus.

1998     Reading Health Center is completely renovated to accommodate first trimester surgical abortion services.

1999     Allentown Health Center begins providing prenatal care in association with St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown Campus.

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