The Comstock Act, enacted in 1873, was a federal law that prohibited the mailing of obscene materials, including contraceptive information and devices. This legislation reflected the prevailing Victorian moral standards and significantly restricted access to reproductive health information. The Act sparked debates about censorship, personal freedom, and women's rights, influencing reproductive health discussions for decades.

The Comstock Act of 1873, which restricted contraceptive information, sparked underground feminist writings and poetry addressing reproductive rights and censorship. Poets such as Edna St. Vincent Millay used their work to voice dissent and advocate for women's autonomy over their bodies.