Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are member-led communities of practice focused on topics related to the science and clinical care of family planning and are an exclusive benefit of Society membership. Each SIG is shaped by its members and has unique goals and practices specific to the desires of the group. Participation in a SIG provides members with opportunities to establish and deepen relationships with colleagues in the field, build professional skills, and exchange ideas. Check the Events Calendar for more information on upcoming SIG meetings.

Active members can join a SIG by clicking here. Members are added to on a bi-weekly basis. SIGs are intimate communities of practice; please consider your capacity to meaningfully participate when joining more than two.

 SIGs are a benefit of Society membership, and as such are only open to active members. If you are not a member of the Society, but are interested in joining a SIG, you can apply for membership here. 

Current SIGs have been developed in response to members’ interests. The descriptions and goals of the group are set by its members. If you don’t see a topic that you would like to; learn more about creating a new SIG.

Current Special Interest Groups

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health 

Co-chairs: Julie Maslowsky, PhD; Molly Richards, MD

This group is for members looking to discuss the specific needs of adolescents with regards to sexual and reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, and reproductive justice.

Advocacy 

Co-chairs: Daniela Mansbach, PhD; Nisha Verma, MD, MPH

This group is for members focused on advocating for evidence-based abortion and contraception practices and policies in the US. Topics discussed could be: legislative updates, current challenges and successes, and advocacy opportunities. 

Black, Indigenous, and people of color

Co-chairs: Michael Belmonte, MD; Josephine Urbina, MD, June Ng MD, MPH

This group is for members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Topics include community building and networking, URiM pipelines (including but not limited to increasing diversity in the Complex Family Planning Fellowship), mentorship, and other collaborative efforts to diversify the membership, leadership, research, guidelines, and policies of the Society of Family Planning. We encourage all BIPOC members to join and be part of our growing community.

Early pregnancy assessment clinics (EPAC)

Co-chairs: Helen Pymar, MD, MPH; Jade Shorter, MD, MSHP

This group is for members interested in strategies for increasing patient access to EPAC services in their communities in North America, and to provide up-to-date references for best patient practices and care. 

Family medicine

Chair: Katelyn Steele, MD; Stephanie Mischell, MD

This group is for members who work in family medicine and are involved in the clinical care of abortion and contraception. Topics discussed could be: best practices and challenges, training needs, and trends related to family planning and abortion care in the context of family medicine. 

Medical educators

Co-chairs: Kristyn Brandi, MD, MPH; Noor Zwayne, MD

This group is for members involved in the education of future health care providers, including members in academic medical education at the undergraduate, graduate/doctoral, and residency/fellowship levels. This also includes nurses and advanced practice clinicians involved in medical education, PhD/DrPH/researchers, and educators in non-academic settings. We encourage educators of all types to participate, where we discuss the challenges of training the next generation of clinicians and researchers in the family planning field, best practices, and innovative content.

Research implementation

JaNelle Ricks, DrPh, MPA; Klaira Lerma, MPH

This group is for members who are interested in identifying and developing best practices for conducting family planning research. Topics discussed could be: best practices for recruitment, responding to IRB challenges, or approaching complex data analyses.

Substance use disorders

Co-chairs: Elisabeth Woodhams, MD, MSc; Noah Nattell, MD, MSCI

This group is for members interested in improving the quality of and/or advocating for abortion and contraception care provided to individuals with substance use disorders. Topics discussed include emerging data and research, best practices, training needs, and access and referrals.

Telehealth practitioners

Co-chairs: Dana Northcraft, JD; Rajita Patil, MD, FACOG; Anna Fiastro, MPH, MEM, PhDc

This group is for members who are involved in the provision of or advocacy for telehealth services. Topics discussed include legislative updates, current challenges and opportunities, emerging research, and best practices for the provision of care.