By Madison Brixley
How one physical therapy student found a way to turn her passion for pelvic health and health equity into action.
I was introduced to InspireHer: A Global Women’s Health Initiative during my second year of physical therapy school while attending the 2025 APTA Combined Sections Meeting.
I was inspired by Dr. Sarah Reardon and Dr. Bridget Ochuko as they discussed the Better Birth Project, an initiative that connects birth workers, including doulas, midwives, and other healthcare providers in underserved communities, with pelvic health education to help reduce complications, promote safer pregnancies, and improve postpartum recovery for their patients.
Finding a Mission That Resonated
As someone who has always been passionate about improving access to care, their presentation really resonated with me.
I have always believed that pelvic health physical therapy should not be reserved for the people who can afford it or who happen to live near a specialist. Everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare that meets their unique needs.
I loved the idea of expanding pelvic health education beyond physical therapists and empowering the providers who are already serving their communities.
Before I even left the conference, I had applied to volunteer with InspireHer.
Turning Passion Into Action
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to serve as a content writer for the organization, creating educational content on topics such as improving access to pelvic health care, the importance of culturally competent care, expanding pelvic health education for healthcare providers, and addressing barriers that prevent people from receiving the care they deserve.
I was also introduced to the Bridging the Gap Initiative, which focuses on increasing minority representation in pelvic health, ensuring that more diverse providers enter the field and more communities receive culturally competent care.
Volunteering with InspireHer has allowed me to combine my passion for pelvic health, education, and health equity while contributing to a mission that I care deeply about.
Learning, Growing, and Advocating
This experience has also given me the opportunity to learn more about and write about topics that matter to me, including the postpartum recovery gap, maternal health disparities, physical therapy for PCOS, the connection between chronic disease and pelvic health, and more.
More than anything, volunteering with InspireHer has reinforced why I chose this profession in the first place.
I hope to continue advocating for greater access to pelvic health education and care throughout my career so that everyone, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, has the opportunity to receive the care they deserve.
Be Part of the Work
If you are passionate about pelvic and women’s health and want to help expand access to education and care, I encourage you to consider volunteering with InspireHer and becoming part of this important work.
When we expand education, empower providers, and remove barriers to care, the impact reaches far beyond one volunteer or one patient. It strengthens entire communities.
