You are listening to Seven Domains of Women's Health:

E106: The Environmental Domain of Family Planning

Feb 13, 2026

Where you live—and what surrounds you—can quietly shape your family planning journey long before you ever step into a clinic. From the air you breathe to the health care systems within driving distance, your environment plays a powerful and often underestimated role in fertility, contraception, and pregnancy outcomes.

In the environmental domain of family planning, Kirtly Jones, MD, and Katie Ward, PhD, explore how both biological and geographic environments influence reproductive health. Joined by urologist Kelli Gross, MD, the conversation examines male fertility, environmental toxins, air pollution, lifestyle factors, and the growing questions around sperm health. In the second half, David Turok, MD, discusses how geography, provider training, and access barriers shape contraceptive options—particularly in rural and frontier communities.

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Credits

Host: Kirtly Jones, MD, Katie Ward, PhD

Guest: Kelli Gross, MD, David Turok, MD

Producer: Chloé Nguyen

Editor: Mitch Sears