Mountain Talk: Women's Health, Women's History

This episode of Mountain Talk explores women’s reproductive health and history in Southeastern Kentucky. It’s brought to us by four young women who are Fellows with All Access EKY.

The first story comes from Taylor Pratt, an 18 year old fellow who has been with All Access EKY for two semesters.  She sat down with Mitchella Phipps and Paulina Gover to talk about their experiences with reproductive health care, both in and out of the region. 

Then we hear from Caitlyn Cummings. Caitlyn is a 21 year old Fellow from Perry County, who wanted to capture what gender roles looked like for women in her community.  She spoke with friend and Professor Jenny Williams for this intimate discussion about women’s roles, barriers, and rights. 

Next, we learn about the life and legacy of  Mary Breckinridge – a nurse-midwife who founded Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, KY in 1925.  Destiny Caldwell, 23, shares Mary’s story as told through her long time friend Kitty Earnst.  

This episode concludes with a story about experiences with sex education in college classrooms today, produced by 19 year old Peer Trainer Hannah Adams.

This episode of Mountain Talk explores women's reproductive health and history in Southeastern Kentucky. It's brought to us by four young women who are Fellows with All Access EKY: an initiative coordinated by the Kentucky Health Justice Network, Appalshop, and Power to Decide. All Access EKY works with ten Southeastern Kentucky counties to build support for programs and services to ensure young people have access to the full range of contraceptive methods. This is the second episode in our month-long series celebrating Women's History in the mountains and beyond. Fellows interview women young and old about their experiences with reproductive health care in the mountains, and about gender roles in the mountains we call home.

Produced by All Access EKY Coordinator Willa Johnson