WHEN the Limerick Family Planning Clinic opened its doors 50 years ago, it was against a background of contraception being illegal and menopause being coyly referred to as “the change”.
And like much of what happened in Ireland in that era, the clinic had as one of its founding members a man – the late great Labour TD, Jim Kemmy.
Ferga Grant was one of the clinic’s early pioneers, joining as a volunteer along with other members of the Limerick Womens Group, and she and two other group members, Cathie Chappell and Jan Toch, began what became full time jobs and decades of work for change.
“Back then, it was difficult to even find a GP for the clinic. We couldn’t even legally sell condoms, which is unbelievable when you think about it now,” Ferga told the Limerick Post.
Dr Phillip Cullen came on board as the first doctor and the clinic was able to prescribe the contraceptive pill for medical reasons, such as regulating menstruation.
“There were a lot of women having trouble with their periods. The late Nell McCafferty once wrote that Ireland must have the world record for the most number of irregular menstrual cycles,” said Ferga.
The need for the clinic and for something more than a dedicated voluntary effort quickly became clear and Ferga, along with other members of the team, made a big decision.
“I was working at the time and earning £68 a week, We did the maths and found we could afford to pay an administrator £30 a week. I left my job and went to work full time in the clinic,” she said.
While other clinics around the country – and there were very few – encountered opposition, Ferga says the Limerick operation was “quite lucky”.
“There’s weren’t really any big protests. There were some people who walked up and down outside saying the rosary, but it was all very peaceable. We did get some hate mail, calling us all kinds of things, including baby murderers, but you just ignored it.”
50 years on and the clinic has seen more than 5,000 clients last year alone. Clear progress has been made, says Clinical Director, Dr Sarah Anne Bennett.
“We’re now providing services to women across the spectrum of their reproductive health, from contraception to having a family and supporting them in perimenopause and menopause,” Dr Sarah told the Limerick Post.
Dr Sarah says that in the last five years, the conversation has opened up on issues such as preparing for pregnancy and the experience of menopause.
“We don’t do fertility treatment itself, but we get a lot of couples coming to us to talk about pre-pregnancy health and optimising the chances of having a family,” she says.
“We also have menopause advice where women can get information about supports and ask for those supports. It’s such a joy to see a woman get the help she needs and see her feeling so much better”.
Men are also more in evidence at the Mallow Street clinic, where there are services concerning areas such as testicular health and vasectomies are performed.
But Dr Sarah says there is still progress to be made.
“I would like to see free hormone replacement therapy come fully over the line and for contaception to be made avalable free for women of all ages. There’s still work to do but we have come a very long way,” she says.
Throughout the clinic’s 50th celebration year, there will be a number of public events. The first is a public meeting at The Absolute Hotel on Tuesday May 20 from 7.30pm.
Yvie Murphy, of Women’s Collective Limerick, and feminist and social activist Dr Ailbhe Smyth, will speak on the theme of ‘Then and Now – Have we come far enough?’.
