As told to Lexi Williams for Her Campus.
By the time I was 10, I knew how to translate phrases like “Pap smear” and “breast exam” into Spanish. Most kids that age don’t even know what those terms mean in their first language, but since my mother didn’t speak English, I worked with her to make sure she got the care she needed. accompanied my mother to a family planning appointment. Little did I know, this was the beginning of my career in reproductive health advocacy.
Despite starting family planning early on, as I grew up I found myself severely lacking in understanding about my own reproductive health. I grew up in a small town in Texas (where my school followed an abstinence-first sex education curriculum) in a Catholic family, the eldest of four younger siblings. It’s safe to say we didn’t regularly talk about sex, much less about things like abortion and emergency contraception.
So I put together my own reproductive education, always feeling like I was catching up on information I wish I had gotten sooner. Instead of talking about sex at home, I remember learning about what sex was at a slumber party when I was 16…and being the stupidest person in the room for not knowing yet. It felt like. Things like contraception and emergency contraception were my own mysteries to solve. When I left Medicaid at age 18, I ended up traveling an hour away to get to my regular appointment at the nearest family planning system because I didn’t know where else to go without insurance.
Over the years, I have seen how a lack of education about reproductive health makes it difficult for our families, friends, communities, and even ourselves to make safe choices and get the care we need. I’m here. But not only did I learn that education is the key to unlocking access to reproductive health care, it’s also the foundation of my desire to help others unlock their own education and access. .
I began to discover my calling in reproductive health advocacy when I became a student at Texas State University, and more specifically, when I served as a senator on my school’s student government. As a senator, we did all sorts of things from supporting charities to deciding what color to paint school buildings, but one of the most impactful things I got to be a part of was One is that we authored a bill to bring a free period product to campus. When this bill passed and we succeeded in bringing our Menstrual Health Initiative (which still exists on campus) to fruition, I really felt that we could make a difference in the world of reproductive justice. I did.
From there, I really got into political science, one of my three majors (I like to say I got three degrees, one for my dad). , one for my mother and one for me), and this opened my eyes even more. There are many ways I can get involved and help people like me who have always believed in reproductive justice but didn’t have the tools or understanding to do much about it. there was. When I graduated in 2019, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in this field and give back to my community and others like me the advocacy I had learned.
I am living proof of what the right tools and resources can do for humans.
Currently, I am proud to work at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. This organization represents the Latina community in the United States in the fight for reproductive rights. I am proud to be a Texan fighting for abortion in my home state, where our bodily autonomy has been under attack for years. And I’m proud to use what I’ve learned from my own experiences and advocacy work to encourage others to do the same.
I am living proof of what the right tools and resources can do for humans. And you know what? So does my family. My younger brothers, all big, muscular Hispanic men in college, are proud reproductive rights activists who come to rallies with me and ask me to buy pro-abortion T-shirts. Of course, college students love free goods.) My mom and I haven’t talked about sex yet – that ship has certainly sailed – but we have openly discussed abortion. This is something I could never have imagined before starting this journey.
Now I’m fighting for this kind of change across the country. I want to help communities, especially those in red states where reproductive rights are already severely restricted and stigmatized, get the education they need to receive critical care and, hopefully, empower them to take action. We are supporting. This fall, that effort will revolve around making voting a reality. At the Latina Institute, we share resources and tools to help people ensure they’re registered to vote, informed about issues of concern, and prepared for Election Day. From phone and text banking to door-to-door canvassing, we meet people where they are, use the language they understand, share the stories that resonate with them, and help them improve their lives for themselves and others. The cast provides the information necessary to make a claim. Ballot paper.
I know my vote matters in the upcoming election and I’m really excited to vote. But more than that, I’m excited to have the opportunity to help others step into their power. Because everyone has the right to know what’s at stake and what they can do to fight for reproductive freedom.
