Honor MacNaughton is near and dear to RHAP. She was our first Reproductive Health and Advocacy Fellow from 2007-2008. She still works closely with RHAP. She is currently on the board of directors and is a Reproductive Health Access Network Regional Cluster leader for Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. She is a family medicine physician and faculty at a family medicine residency in Boston. This fall, she will be helping us expand our Fellowship outside of New York City by hosting and mentoring a Reproductive Health and Advocacy Fellow at her institution in Boston.

“I was drawn to primary care because I believe that strong primary care is key to a strong health care system. On a personal level, I value the opportunity to care for people over time, in the context of their families and communities. These relationships that develop over time allow for a window into the big picture of my patients lives. And I enjoy this – having a chance to address both the big picture as well as the details.

I was drawn to the reproductive health aspect of my work by the belief that part of being healthy is being able to plan your reproductive future and decide if and when you have children. This is one of those big picture things. It affects the majority of our patients in one way or another and has ripple through effects on so many others aspects of health. Unfortunately, accessing reproductive health care is becoming harder in many places. This is why I relate to the RHAP model of integrating reproductive health services into primary care. It takes advantage of the relationship that already exists between patient and provider, increases access and decreases stigma.

I chose to apply for RHAP’s Reproductive Health and Advocacy Fellowship because I was interested in both teaching in family medicine and getting trained to provide abortion care. I didn’t receive any abortion or ultrasound training in residency and the fellowship offered these concrete skills in addition to advocacy, leadership and teaching skills.

I have carried all of what I learned during fellowship into my current work: abortion and miscarriage provision, advanced contraceptive training, skills to train other providers, and the advocacy skills needed to negotiate the challenges of developing an abortion training program.

Beyond the fellowship, I continue to value the relationship I have built with RHAP to this day. I depend on the RHAP staff for their clinical expertise and technical assistance. And I look to the RHAP community for support when my work feels slow or isolating. Being a part of the RHAP community is reaffirming and inspires me to continue the work in my local community.”