How are concerns about declining birth rates shaping reproductive health policy in the U.S.?
On October 7, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Power Lab at Lehigh University’s College of Health (COH) welcomed a packed room to the Health, Science and Technology Building for a talk by their inaugural speaker, Laura Lindberg, Ph.D. Lindberg, professor and director of the program in sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health, presented “Pronatalism and Reproductive Autonomy in an Era of Low Fertility.”
The Power Lab, founded in 2025 by COH professors Lisa Lindley, Tracy Nichols, Joanna Mishtal and Fathima Wakeel, aims to debunk myths, stop misinformation and empower individuals to take charge of their sexual and reproductive health. Faculty from every COH department are involved, along with students at every level of their academic journey, from undergraduates to postdoctoral researchers.
According to Mishtal, the Power Lab chose Lindberg as the inaugural speaker because she brings significant research expertise in sexual and reproductive health, and her work has made a considerable impact on policy. In the post-Dobbs era, after the Supreme Court ended the nationwide constitutional protection for abortion that had existed under Roe v. Wade, “we are living in this moment in time where all of these topics are very much in the forefront of the public and policymakers,” Mishtal said.
Nichols added that Lindberg recently started two projects on misinformation surrounding hormonal contraception, which align with the Power Lab’s goal of combating misinformation surrounding sexual and reproductive health. Funded by a Lehigh College of Health Seed Grant, the Power Lab conducted a comparative study in Pennsylvania, Florida and California to examine how contraceptive misinformation is (or isn’t) shaping young women’s decisions about pregnancy prevention. The Power Lab also recently published a paper in the Journal of American College Health titled “Pregnancy Prevention Method Use Among US College Women Before and After Dobbs,” with additional articles under review with scholarly journals. The Lab hosted a separate luncheon with Dr. Lindberg to share and discuss their work.
During her presentation, Lindberg discussed the decline in U.S. birth and teen pregnancy rates and the pronatalist movement’s efforts to increase childbearing. “The pronatalist movement seeks to advance its agenda through policies affecting abortion, contraception and education,” Lindley said. “These policies limit women’s control over whether and when they become pregnant and narrow their educational and career opportunities. The goal, quite honestly, is to get women to stay home and have more children by restricting their choices.”
Nichols explained that misinformation involves more than simply stating false facts; it also includes how information is framed to shape a narrative. This perspective provides a useful lens for understanding how statistical trends can be spun into a cause for panic rather than framed as a positive development, such as the decline in teen births.
On a more hopeful note, Wakeel’s key takeaway was that Lindberg encouraged the young people in attendance to “be a superhero, to advocate and to stand up for reproductive autonomy,” she said. “Everyone in the room is armed and equipped with an education and expertise that they bring to the table to move the needle and advocate for those who can’t.”
Mishtal also considered the real-world impact. “The intervention we can have as educators, feminists and advocates for reproductive rights and health is to move beyond simply understanding the evidence base. Then trying to think, what’s our role? What kinds of expectations should we have from the government to promote women’s health?” she explained.
During her time on campus, Lindberg had dinner with the entire Power Lab, followed by breakfast with COH doctoral students the following day. “Dr. Lindberg made a strong impression on the students,” Lindley said, “helping them advance their research interests or consider professional areas in sexual and reproductive health they may not have previously explored.”
Following the success of this year’s event, the Power Lab team looks forward to welcoming next year’s speaker and an even larger audience.
“It really was a team effort,” said Lindley. “Joanna led it, but we were all invested. It shows what we can do when we work together.”
Laura Lindberg’s presentation was made possible with the support of the Jaffe Health Hope Fund. To learn more about the Power Lab, please click here.
