Charlotte Ellertson, Founder of Ibis Reproductive Health
Charlotte Ellertson was a sociologist and public health researcher who devoted her career to women's reproductive rights, research, and advocacy. She was raised in South Africa and Minnesota. Ellertson founded the non-profit Ibis Reproductive Health in 2002. Her vision was to have a dynamic organization that could bridge academic research and women's immediate health needs. With this foundation Ellertson was a huge influence on the FDA and getting them to approve the RU-486 abortion-induced pill. Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 38 due to breast cancer, however, her organization continues to do international reproductive behavior research and has been on the forefront of research on over the counter oral contraceptives.
Ellertson also published over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reports, which all focused on emergency contraception and medication abortion. Her experience also included seven years at the population council, four of which she spent as Director of Reproductive Health for Latin American and the Caribbean in Mexico City. Her education included a Master's in Public Affairs and a PhD in Demography from Princeton University. Ellertson's organization strives on womens priorities and focuses on increasing access to safe abortion, expanding contraceptive access and choices, and integrating HIV and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.
Abortion, is not a topic which people like to talk about. However, Ellertson made it her life's work to give women the option to choose to have a safe abortion rather than other unsafe practices. She was successful in achieving clinical and policy changes that made these methods more widely available to women around the world. Her organization doesn't only focus on abortion, but women's reproductive rights as a whole. They do research to find what women need, what barriers they face, and what is working for them.
Sources:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/50-women-in-health_n_2879370.html?slideshow=true#gallery/286861/11
https://ibisreproductivehealth.org/about-us
I really enjoyed your post about Charlotte Ellertson and her contributions to women's reproductive health. that is a field that we do not get much insight or research in, so it is good to see the research being done and a peer admiring her efforts!
ReplyDelete~Desi