Jalan Washington

Advocates for Youth and Medical Students for Choice

Jalan Washington is a first year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine. She holds a Masters Degree in Health Promotion from the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She is deeply committed to issues affecting the health of marginalized populations and has worked on various projects focusing on the reproductive health of underserved adolescents of color. She became active with the Advocates for Youth (AFY) Young Women of Color Leadership Council during college and remains active as a member of the Board of Directors.

At the Mailman School, she was active with the Black and Latino Student Caucus and Public Health Students for Reproductive Freedom. Currently, she is a member of the Community/ Urban Health track, American College of Physicians, Student National Medical Association, and Medical Students for Choice.

Her future goals include providing primary care in an inner-city community for underserved adolescent populations, getting married, becoming a mother, and advocating for revolutionary changes in health care and health education.

She can be reached at jalan(DOT)washington(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Beyond Abortion: Medical Injustice Should Be Focus

Jalan Washington

Medical school, by nature, often strips out a deeper social analysis when examining the health outcomes of different communities. The pro-choice movement within medical schools should always ensure that it is sensitive to the socioeconomic realities we find ourselves in and is responding to the full range of individuals' reproductive health needs.

HPV Vaccine: Not a Silver Bullet

Jalan Washington

I recently saw one of Merck's "One Less" commercials that depict ethnically diverse, physically active, and attractive women discussing the importance of being vaccinated against cervical cancer. All of these women want to be "one less" woman with cervical cancer. They urge everyone to share information about this vaccine with loved ones so that they too can be "one less" woman with cervical cancer.

The new vaccine, Gardasil®, manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for young women, ages 9-26. Clearly Merck is putting a lot of money behind promoting this vaccine to young women. But this captivating commercial can lull young women into a false sense of security about their reproductive health.