Our Approach
Beyond the Pill works to expand contraceptive equity, autonomy, and access in the United States.
Our training curricula, research publications and policy briefs, and educational materials are backed by evidence-based, interdisciplinary research, up-to-date science, and thorough community and expert review.
Mission
Beyond the Pill promotes contraceptive access and equity. We build the research foundation to transform clinical care across varying policy contexts in the United States and support youth and communities facing the greatest barriers to reproductive autonomy.
Vision
We envision a world where all people have the power and resources to access equitable reproductive health care and the autonomy to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures.
Values
Autonomy
We believe in bodily and reproductive autonomy and that each person is the expert of their own life and reproductive decisions. We affirm that the protection of our reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy is fundamental to a strong and functional democracy.
Community Collaboration
We strive to practice community-engaged research and to involve community voices throughout our research processes, as well as our curriculum development and delivery. We are proud to partner with local and national organizations to ensure that our work is impactful across varied policy environments in the United States.
Growth and Curiosity
We quickly adapt to changes in policy, embrace new advancements in the field, continuously integrate feedback, and affirm our position as lifelong learners to maximize the impact of our work.
Cultivation and Mentorship
We are committed to fostering the next generation of researchers and practitioners in reproductive health care.
Justice
We acknowledge that structural factors, including institutional racism, sexism, ableism, cissexism, and xenophobia, create and reinforce differences in health care access across populations. Because reproductive health care and contraception have historically been, and continue to be, fraught with bias, coercion, and discrimination, our work is intertwined with broader efforts to dismantle structural oppression.
Our work is guided by the principles of Reproductive Justice (RJ), a framework combining reproductive rights and social justice that was developed by a group of Black women in 1994 to center marginalized people and address intersectional oppressions in the struggle for reproductive rights. We partner with RJ organizations when incorporating these principles in our research and trainings.
Purposeful Inclusion
Our work centers people who face heightened barriers to contraceptive care and reproductive autonomy. We involve people with lived experience in our research and curriculum development and ensure that our trainers and advisors reflect the communities we serve.
Self-Reflection
We are committed to the practice of cultural humility and continual self-reflection and growth in our work and field. We seek to identify and shift power imbalances in reproductive health care and tackle the institutional policies that uphold them.