Yale Fellowship in Complex Family Planning

Reproductive health care rooted in dignity, equity, and science.

Mission

Yale Complex Family Planning provides exceptional care through evidence-based medicine, , clinical training, research, and advocacy focused on abortion and contraception.

Overview of Program

The Yale Fellowship in Complex Family Planning offers excellent clinical training, dedicated research mentorship, participation in education of residents and medical students, and opportunities for advocacy.

History of Reproductive Health at Yale

Family Planning has a celebrated history in the Yale Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences. The Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Dr. Lee Buxton, was arrested along with Connecticut Planned Parenthood's Estelle Griswold in 1961 for operating a contraceptive clinic at a time when providing contraception to married couples was illegal. This case, Griswold versus Connecticut, became the 1965 US Supreme Court decision that established the right to privacy in reproductive matters, laying the foundation for the Roe versus Wade decision. From this history, we draw inspiration for a new chapter of leadership in reproductive health for clinical care, research, advocacy and education through Yale’s Fellowship in Complex Family Planning. The Yale Complex Family Planning Fellowship began in 2015 under the leadership of Drs. Nancy Stanwood and Aileen Gariepy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our Complex Family Planning Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion as this is essential to the discipline of family planning for patients, trainees, faculty, and the workforce alike. The principles of equity and inclusion are rooted in our programmatic values and are essential to the educational mission of our fellowship. Our curriculum and educational practices reflect to the importance of patient autonomy in complex abortion and contraceptive care. We strive to create just educational and clinical environments where all members can equitably thrive.

Clinical Training

We provide expert Complex Family Planning care and serve as a referral site for abortion care for medically complex patients, patients needing abortion care up to 23 weeks 6 days gestation, and medical and surgical management for patients experiencing pregnancy loss.

We provide general and complex contraceptive care for women, with a focus on and expertise in long-acting reversible methods and contraceptive options for people with underlying medical issues.

Yale Fellows in Complex Family Planning provide care in both inpatient and outpatient settings at Yale New Haven Hospital. There is also an opportunity to provide care at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.

Research

Prior Fellows' Research Projects

Dr. Meredith Pensak

Dr. Abigail Cutler

Dr. Gabriela Aguilar

Dr. Samantha Baer

Dr. Blythe Bynum

Fellows have access to Yale's rich research infrastructure including:

  1. The Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (part of NIH's Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award)
  2. Yale Center for Analytic Sciences (including biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, health policy, health services and big data research)
  3. Departmental biorepository