We are working with our partners to support young women and their partners to make informed, empowered decisions related to reproductive wellbeing, to increase the number of providers who offer the full range of birth control options; increase capacity at our publicly-funded clinics; and improve coordination among local outreach and education. 

Reproductive Wellbeing

Reproductive wellbeing means that all people have the information, services, and support they need to have control over their bodies and to make their own decisions related to sexuality and reproduction throughout their lives. Research shows that the number of children a woman has, how closely she has them together, and the circumstances surrounding those births are a foremost influencer of quality-of-life indicators, such as, mental health and wellness, lifetime earnings and educational attainment. With a special focus on understanding the environmental barriers and disparities that exist for young women of color, the Allyn Family Foundation is building a local movement to support and empower women with positive messages about themselves, their bodies and their relationships. 

Local Landscape

Many women in Central New York experience unintended pregnancy, with rates around 40%, which is a little better than the national average. Yet, just like at the national level, the rates are significantly higher among some members of our community, especially women on Medicaid, and African American women. At the same time, all Central New York counties are designated “contraceptive deserts,” according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Contraceptive deserts are defined as a county where the number of public clinics with the full range of methods is not enough to meet the needs of the county’s population, with at least 1 clinic to every 1,000 women in need of publicly funded contraception.     

Community Education & Social Norms Campaign

Layla’s Got You is a social norms campaign for young Black and Latinx women ages 16-25 in Syracuse, with judgement-free and tailored information about birth control, sex and relationships. The tech-driven campaign provides a chat bot named Layla as a safe and anonymous place for young women to ask questions, and ongoing social media content to start conversations and empower Black and Latinx women to make informed, independent decisions about sex, birth control, and their future. Layla connects young women to each other and makes the experiences of local women more visible through storytelling. Layla has an on-the-ground component, the Ambassador program, that amplifies the voices of young black women and connects them with paid and experiential opportunities. Know a young woman who would be a great addition to the tribe? Join here:

Reproductive Wellbeing Coalition

Our coalition of multi sector partners, including medical and health providers, the faith community, the court and justice systems, and community members work together to build capacity, provide support, and expand opportunities to address structural and systemic inequities.  

In 2020, our coalition was selected to participate in Power to Decide’s national learning community, a compilation of 10 place-based teams across the country, working to implement a portfolio of evidence-based interventions that support reproductive wellbeing. Our goal is to ensure people have equitable access to the support they need to make their own decisions related to sexuality and reproduction throughout their lives. 

Interested in becoming a part of the coalition? Click this link for more information!