ASHA was founded in 1914 as the American Social Hygiene Association, formed out of early 20th century social reform movements focused on fighting, in the parlance of the day, venereal diseases (VD) such as gonorrhea and syphilis. This work continued through two world wars, as ASHA produced volumes of material for the military, into the 1970s with our public awareness campaign VD is for Everybody, to the HIV and STD hotlines ASHA operated in the 1980s through the 2000s. Yet while ASHA focused on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, it often did so within the context of understanding sex and sexuality as a normal, natural, and important part of life—in other words, within the sexual health framework that ASHA promotes today.

The timeline below was created for our centennial celebration in 1914 and highlights the evolution of the organization over the course of its first 100 years.