Perspectives from Practicum Student Zoe Shipley

Zoe Shipley was one of MCI's MPH practicum students over Summer 2025, where she worked on stakeholder mapping and policy planning. Here she talks about her experience and interest in male contraception. 

I have been involved in reproductive justice advocacy since I was a freshman in high school and engaged in a period poverty campaign creating reusable, discrete menstrual supplies to disseminate to women and girls in developing nations. Now, as a master’s student in Maternal, Family, and Child Health, I am pursuing a career in sexual and reproductive health policy with a focus in contraception.

In 2023, I had the opportunity to work with contraceptive movement partners and lead a social media-driven public advocacy to pressure the FDA to approve mifepristone for over the counter use. After this successful opportunity, I found Male Contraceptive Initiative and saw the potential to combine my niche interests in contraception, advocacy, and policy.

​Now, I am passionate about using my time with MCI to create stakeholder-relevant advocacy plans to continue to spread male contraceptives to new audiences and policy engagement plans to advance male birth control in formal, institutional ways.