The New Frontline of Reproductive Health Is Digital

The fight for sexual and reproductive health is no longer just about clinics or courtrooms. It’s about code, data, and design. Lyndsay Sanborn June 2025

Two years ago, I watched access to reproductive health care unravel across the United States. It wasn’t a surprise—those of us in this field saw it coming—but it still landed like a gut punch. The truth is, for many historically marginalized communities, access was never a guarantee to begin with. But with the fall of Roe and the rise of AI, something new became clear: the future of sexual and reproductive health would not just be fought in clinics or courtrooms. It would be shaped by algorithms, data infrastructures, and the technologies quietly influencing who gets care, who gets left out, and what "access" even means in a digital age.

For over a twenty five years, I’ve worked at the intersection of health equity, public policy, and education. I’ve designed national training programs, built campaigns that meet young people where they are, and supported communities where basic care is out of reach due to geography, stigma, and systemic neglect. Still, I could feel the ground shifting beneath us.

Disinformation spreads faster than facts. Health systems are under-resourced. And too many people-especially young people-have more questions than answers, and fewer trusted places to turn. That’s why I’ve stepped into a new frontier: building ethical, compassionate AI tools that bridge the growing gap between people and the sexual and reproductive health care they need.

I’m currently earning an Executive Certificate in AI Strategy and Product Innovation at MIT. It’s not just a credential—it’s a response to urgency. As nonprofits, public institutions, and tech companies race to adopt AI, I want to make sure equity, care, and humanity remain at the center of what we build.

I’m not in this for the novelty. I’m here because I believe in our collective capacity to do better.

What if we trained large language models to offer fact-based, stigma-free answers about birth control, abortion, or consent? What if a young people, navigating a care desert, could access clear, affirming guidance at 2 a.m. from a tool built with their experience in mind? What if our AI systems could reflect the best of our clinicians—listening with empathy, providing context, and honoring complexity?

That’s the future I’m building toward.

This work isn’t easy. AI is messy, fast-moving, and often exclusionary. But that’s exactly why we need more public health leaders, reproductive justice advocates, and equity strategists shaping these tools. People who understand the systems we want to change—and the communities we’re accountable to.

So here I am. Learning. Building. Asking hard questions. And hoping to connect with others doing the same.If you’re working on AI in public health, designing for justice, or dreaming of a future where care is accessible, accurate, and affirming—let’s connect.