Informed Choices:

Improving Contraceptive Outcomes for Women

During Women’s Health Month in May, The Rowan Foundation is unveiling the educational products stemming from its recent Roundtable, “Informed Choices: Improving Contraceptive Outcomes for Women.” This Roundtable, sponsored by the Rowan Foundation, was hosted by the University of Houston Student Health Center and Campus Pharmacy in March 2025, during Blood Clot Awareness Month.

The agenda for this Roundtable was broad, but the Roundtable discussion focused on two overarching goals:

• Identify action steps needed to help healthcare professionals recognize and address the myriad issues that are involved in contraceptive decision making.
• Empower women to make fully informed choices when selecting a contraceptive method.

The expert Roundtable panel addressed a range of essential topics, ranging from access and availability to innovations in contraception and contraceptive equity.

A critical component of the Roundtable discussion also involved contraceptive choice related to long-acting versus short-acting contraceptive methods, as well as the importance of understanding the risks and benefits linked to both hormonal and nonhormonal options.

The proceedings of this Roundtable are shared in both print and video formats below.

The Rowan Foundation extends its appreciation to the University of Houston Roundtable panelists who made this event possible by contributing their time and expertise to this program:

Gabriela Ortiz, MD
Moderator
Executive Director
University of Houston
Student Health Center

Vian Nguyen, MD
Roundtable Panelist
Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Houston
Student Health Center

Rania Elkhatib, MD
Roundtable Panelist
Psychiatry
University of Houston
Student Health Center

Toria Jones
Roundtable Panelist
Program Manager
University of Houston
Women & Gender Resources Center

The Rowan Foundation also wishes to express its deep gratitude to the community members who shared their personal experiences as part of this program. Their stories were shared in the Voices from the Community video as part of the Roundtable proceedings, ensuring that the “patient” voice was present to inform the Roundtable discussion. Specifically, we want to thank:

• Dru West, who lost her daughter Julia to a fatal blood clot linked to hormonal birth control. Her story is a sobering reminder of what’s at stake when critical health information is left unsaid.
• Alyson Layser, a young woman who experienced a life-threatening clot while studying abroad. Despite presenting with severe symptoms, her condition went undiagnosed for far too long, revealing just how little awareness there still is about the signs of a clot and the risks tied to hormonal contraceptives.
• Aynslee Roberts, a young woman who survived a pulmonary embolism after using hormonal contraception. Her experience has fueled her advocacy for better patient education and risk transparency.`

For more information about the Voices from the Community video visit Real Stories, Real Impact.

You can submit your personal story here to share on the Rowan Foundation’s website and social media channels.

The Rowan Foundation will be sharing these Roundtable proceedings with healthcare providers, public health professionals, and policymakers, placing emphases on the calls to action identified during the Roundtable and reflected in the proceedings posted here.

We also will be sharing shorter, select excerpts from these comprehensive materials with patients and the wider public on social media and our website to help build awareness and empower women.

Learn more about the mission of the Rowan Foundation here.

For more information about the Roundtable, email [email protected]