Biography
Dr. Brooke Whitfield is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at REAL, where she works on the Reproductive Health Experiences and Access (RHEA) project. A social demographer by training, Dr. Whitfield conducts policy-relevant research focused on advancing reproductive equity for all, with expertise in the experiences and needs of minors and adolescents. Her work uses mixed-methods approaches to examine how young people in the U.S. navigate restrictive policy environments and complex information ecosystems to learn about and access sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Dr. Whitfield holds a B.A. in Public Policy and Global Health from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from the University of Texas at Austin.
Selected Scholarship
Including “sexual” in sexual and reproductive health labor: Gendered experiences of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, testing, and treatment among young people in Texas. Social Science and Medicine, 119386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119386
Whitfield, B., Wilkinson, T., & Lindberg, L. Adolescents’ and young adults’ receipt of Person-Centered Contraceptive Counseling. JAMA Network Open, 8(12):e2551287. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.51287