Seven of our MCH students attended the 2019 annual meeting of the American Public Health Association(APHA), held November 2-6, 2019, in Philadelphia, PA. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
by Colton Collins, BS
On the flight to Philadelphia I did not know what to expect. I had attended an eclectic assortment of conferences in the past, yet none had piqued my interest quite like I expected APHA too. The conference went above and beyond my expectations and quickly became an experience that I won’t soon forget.
I have always been interested in reproductive justice: the choice to have children, the choice to not have children, and the opportunity to raise children in a safe and equitable community. APHA had so many opportunities to expand my knowledge in reproductive justice, and for that I am grateful.
I want to attend law school upon completion of my MPH. I want to work in legal divisions that advocate and fight for the protection of women’s reproductive freedoms and rights — APHA had a session that seemed almost catered directly to my interests. Beyond Roe was a session composed of a team of women who worked for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and covered the current state of reproductive freedoms in the United States and what they are currently doing to protect and further the state of reproductive healthcare in the United States.
As you are probably aware, women’s bodies in this country are policed, politicized, and pathologized at an alarming rate. There have been harmful laws and bans emplaced in the last few months that have inhibited the reproductive rights of women and that will have detrimental impacts on the mental and physical health and well-being of women, youth, and families across the country. ACOG led an entire session on how to “navigate the state legal battleground” when advocating and fighting for reproductive rights. I even got the opportunity to speak to a lawyer who works in the legal division of ACOG and is currently fighting state bans on abortion access for women. I gained valuable insight into her career path and what I should do in order to make myself a strong candidate for law school.
I am extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to grow as a future public health professional and to expand my knowledge at APHA. From the opening session where I learned to not fear being disruptive, to the expo where I was able to network with professionals in multiple organizations, to the sessions where I further honed in on my interests, APHA was an experience I won’t soon forget.
Colton C. Collins, BS is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. He plans to graduate from Tulane in May 2021. His interests include public health law, the protection of abortion access, and family planning. He also enjoys reading and listening to Ericka Hart’s podcast.
