Speakers: Kaylen Barker
Kaylen Barker: My name is Kaylen Barker and I'm a 9th generation West Virginian living on a small farm in Kanawha County with my wife and son. I've been a sexual and reproductive health and justice advocate in the state for a number of years, so trust me when I tell you, the decisions about our bodies and the types of care that we can access. Are being made in rooms with men and women who lack a basic understanding of our bodies and how they work. And we're taught from a very young age not to talk about our healthcare, our pleasure, or our bodies at all because of the shame and stigma that comes with it. I'm here to tell you it is time that we shed that shame and stigma and have real honest open conversations about the realities of accessing sexual and reproductive health care in a red rural state like West Virginia.
