Biography
Dr. DeShawn Taylor is a gynecologist, family planning specialist, gender affirming care provider, and Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her work is grounded in reproductive justice and focuses on how systems, including education, policy, and clinical environments, shape reproductive health outcomes.
Through clinical care, medical education, and leadership, Dr. Taylor works to expand access to evidence based reproductive healthcare and to strengthen the systems that support patient autonomy and well being. Through her work, Dr. Taylor seeks to expand how we understand health, autonomy, and responsibility, shifting the focus from individual decisions to the systems that shape them.
Dr. Taylor operates her Desert Star Institute for Family Planning clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, and leads coalition work through the nonprofit Desert Star Institute for Family Planning.
Throughout her career, Dr. Taylor has been recognized for numerous awards, including the following:
- Recognized as a trailblazer by the Maricopa County NAACP
- Honored as a champion of choice by the National Institute for Reproductive Health
- Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona Advocate of the Year Award
- Physicians for Reproductive Health Rashbaum Leadership Award
