Changemakers in Family Planning: Kandyce Brennan
Contraception
Awarded 2024
Changemakers in Family Planning
Kandyce Brennan, DNP, MSN
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
$83,920

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University in 2016, I dedicated my career to improving women’s health. Motivated by a profound desire to impact women’s health outcomes on both structural and local levels, I completed a Master of Science in Nurse Midwifery and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, specializing in midwifery, at Frontier Nursing University in 2020 and 2022, respectively. My professional experience as a midwife at Duke University Hospitals and the Durham County Department of Public Health highlighted the significant disparities in contraceptive care and the importance of reproductive justice and shared decision-making. My recent paper, “Providing Inpatient Contraception Care Within a Reproductive Justice Framework,” published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, underscores my dedication to reproductive justice and highlights efforts to promote equitable contraceptive care, emphasize the importance of shared decision-making, and address systemic inequalities impacting health outcomes. As such, my research aims to utilize technology to close educational and access gaps in contraception care and counseling. By developing innovative methods to enhance communication and understanding between healthcare providers and patients, my goal is to empower individuals to take an active, informed role in managing their reproductive health. This approach improves individual well-being and contributes to broader public health outcomes by ensuring equitable access to necessary healthcare resources. Through this work, I aspire to create a model that can be adopted widely, ensuring that all individuals have the knowledge and power to make decisions that best suit their health and life circumstances.