The perspectives of men in Mexico City about vasectomy—Brief

On November 17, 2017, Mexico City took part in the global World Vasectomy Day campaign promoting men’s participation in family planning, especially through no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV). During the event the Population Council Mexico conducted an exploratory study to better understand the reasons men chose NSV, as well as their concerns before and after the procedure. The study found that the principal reason for seeking NSV among men surveyed was their achievement of a desired family size, for themselves and their partners. The study further reveals the need to disseminate information through mass media, social networks, and all levels of the health system about NSV as a permanent, simple, and cost-effective procedure with low rates of complications and minimal pain. The report recommends that health institutions integrate NSV information, counseling, referrals, and services, for expanded family planning options and perspectives, within the National Family Planning Program, and facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of men who undergo NSV at least six months after the procedure

The perspectives of men in Mexico City about vasectomy

As part of World Vasectomy Day, the Population Council Mexico conducted an exploratory study about the reasons and concerns that led men to seek a no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) during the 24-hour “Vasectomy-athon” in Mexico City in 2017. This study was intended as the first part of a longer cohort study that would follow up with the men, and their partners, to learn about their experiences with the procedure and its effects, if any, on their relationships. Based on the findings, the report recommends that the Mexican Ministry of Health (SSA) continue integrating NSV information, counseling, and services within the National Family Planning Program and support follow-up monitoring and evaluation of men who undergo NSV at least six months after the procedure. It would be beneficial for SSA to periodically assess the availability and quality of NSV services in Mexico’s public and private sectors, and based upon this, continue to disseminate information on best practices for NSV provision—and influence NSV policies worldwide

Abriendo Futuros: A program for rural indigenous girls in Yucatan, Mexico

The Abriendo Futuros (AF) program builds on the Council’s global experience of designing and implementing successful girl-centered programs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. AF aims to improve the living conditions of Mayan girls (10–18 years) and contribute to the achievement of gender equity in the Yucatan. The program’s community-focused strategy seeks to empower girls through interpersonal communication and participatory workshops. Girls in selected communities are divided into age groups (10–14 and 15–18) that meet weekly with a mentor in safe spaces. The program’s mentors are young women aged 20–30 from the communities, who have been recruited and trained to act as facilitators for the girls. In weekly two-hour workshops, girls learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equity, prevention of gender-based violence, and financial education, among other topics. This brief describes Phase 1 of AF (successful two-year pilot) and Phase 2 (AF enhancement after program evaluation)

Opportunities for SGBV data collection in the time of COVID-19: The value of implementation science

In this blog post for the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), Council researchers highlight the tension between the need to gather data to support women facing unprecedented vulnerability in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reality that the very act of data collection may heighten risk. They also present opportunities for ethical sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) data collection during the pandemic

From Data to Action: Partnering with Governments on Evidence to Support Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center hosted a virtual webinar in October 2021, bringing together evidence from two country-level studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent lives in Kenya and Mexico. This document provides a recap of the webinar, in which government partners reflected on the government-research partnership behind these efforts and shared their perspectives on lessons learned and the future of evidence-based policy action to support adolescents

Impacto multidimensional de la pandemia en las juventudes indígenas de Yucatán

Las juventudes son una de las poblaciones que se han visto y se verán más afectadas por los impactos a largo plazo de la pandemia, más aún para aquellas personas jóvenes que viven y/o son parte de comunidades que han sido históricamente excluidas, como los pueblos y comunidades indígenas. Cada día contamos con más evidencia sobre el impacto de la pandemia en las juventudes en México y en otros países del mundo. Sin embargo, todavía hay poca información sobre el impacto en juventudes indígenas. Por este motivo, el objetivo del presente estudio es analizar el impacto de la pandemia en múltiples dimensiones de la vida de juventudes indígenas que viven en seis municipios localizados en Yucatán y mapear las decisiones y medidas relacionadas con juventudes adoptadas por el gobierno del estado de Yucatán en el contexto de la emergencia sanitaria por COVID-19 y de la reactivación económica, entre enero y junio 2021. Esta información es relevante para orientar y redirigir medidas y acciones de instituciones y personas tomadoras de decisiones en la región, así como para el diseño de nuevas estrategias y políticas públicas basadas en evidencia que se enfoquen a reducir las necesidades aún no atenidad de las juventudes indígenas

Data collection and COVID-19: What’s gender got to do with it?

This blog examines how the COVID-19 pandemic unearths several important gender dimensions and implications before, during, and after data collection. The authors tackle considerations around training of data collectors, the choice of participants, modalities and methods for data collection, and service and support provisions for participants and collectors. Urging the reader to “re-examine, re-think, and reconstruct taken-for-granted data collection processes,” the authors highlight how researchers must continue to combat the embedded inequalities of the pandemic and critically investigate the gender implications of their research techniques

Sexual and reproductive healthcare for migrant women: A mapping of civil society actors in Mexico

This study maps the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) provide to women on the move in seven states along the migrant route. We also document CSOs\u27 views on access barriers to SRH public services, and how COVID-19 affected CSOs and migrants during the first months of the pandemic in Mexico

Findings from the violence outcomes in COVID-19 era study (VoCes-19): Baseline results

This report presents findings from the baseline survey of the Violence Outcomes in COVID-19 Era Study (VOCES-19). The study, conducted by Population Council Mexico in collaboration with the National Institute of Youth and the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying mitigation measures on the experience and perception of violence among 15–24-year-olds living in Mexico, as well as its effects on other social, economic, and health, related outcomes. The primary objectives for this first survey round were to gather baseline information on several outcomes of interest, assess differential effects by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, and establish a cohort of adolescents and young adults to measure the impact of the pandemic on young people in Mexico over time