Tyriesa L. Howard, an assistant professor at the Brown School at WashU, has received a 2024 Changemakers in Family Planning grant from the Society of Family Planning. The $84,000 grant will support her research project, which examines the impact of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision on adolescents and young adults’ autonomy over their bodies.
Howard’s study will use a mixed-methods approach to explore how young people, particularly from racial minority groups, understand abortion and contraceptive policies. It also will investigate their attitudes toward contraception and their behaviors in accessing abortion and contraception. The research aims to inform creation of a best-practice framework for policy advocacy, promoting equitable access to abortion and contraception for minors.