“I am now that annoying friend who goes to parties and hands condoms to my friends,” Jennifer, 22, says with a laugh.

An intern with Mexico Vivo Foundation, a partner of UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, Jennifer says she doesn’t want her friends to get sexually transmitted infections. She also encourages people to get sexual health checks and shares information about health, rights and choices.

Jennifer, who lives in Mexico City, learned about such issues from a UNFPA programme called SAFETEEN First – a comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) initiative supported by Reckitt and taught in workshops by Mexico Vivo.

Here, UNFPA goes behind the scenes with Jennifer and other young leaders to illustrate how they’re making a difference in their communities in Mexico.

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Jennifer's internship is expanding her knowledge and choices.
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Being able to talk openly with peers about sexual health, rights and choices is a direct impact of the programme. “I grew up in a very traditional home,” says Jennifer, who spent her childhood in the northeastern state of Nuevo León before moving to Mexico City. “In the north of the country, gender roles are very specific and very well defined – especially for women.”

Jennifer helps educate her friends in Mexico City.

“Everything I've learned at Mexico Vivo has been completely different from what I've studied in school.”
–Jennifer
Orlando is a mentor trained to run SAFETEEN workshops by Mexico Vivo.
Orlando is a mentor trained to run SAFETEEN workshops by Mexico Vivo.
“Orlando has been a great role model for me in many different areas of life,” says Jennifer.
“Orlando has been a great role model for me in many different areas of life,” says Jennifer.
Jennifer takes pride in passing on what she has learned.
Jennifer takes pride in passing on what she has learned.
“I would like to transform myself from the mentee to the mentor. I would really love that, and it would complete the circle.”
–Jennifer

Since December 2022, the Reckitt and UNFPA partnership has been delivering comprehensive sexuality education in classrooms and workshops across Mexico, Pakistan and Thailand. In Mexico alone, the project impacts 20,000 young people each year.

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Matilda, 13, attends Secondary School 62 in Mexico City, where one of the largest workshops has been held, reaching 1,500 students. “I first learned about sex online, but the workshops at school helped me separate myths and facts,” she says.

Comprehensive sexuality education provides accurate, age-appropriate and nonjudgemental information. It leads to fewer pregnancies, less disease and less abuse. Living safe and healthy lives can help young people unlock their full potential.

Karol, 16, attended SAFETEEN workshops in Puebla. “This knowledge is extremely important, and it will help guide me in achieving my goals,” she says.

“An unwanted pregnancy at a young age can get in the way of your dreams and limit you. Taking care of a baby is a huge responsibility.”

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Karol’s goals include a career in tourism. “I love to learn about new cultures and would like to travel,” she says.
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Karol collects rebozos – long, rectangular shawls – in a tradition passed down from her late grandmother. “Each time I wear one, I feel connected to her memory,” she says.
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Like her grandmother, Karol believes in the importance of passing on things of value. “As an older sibling, I would like to share what I have learned about sexuality and reproductive health,” she says.
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Christian, 22, proudly identifies as indigenous Mexican and as a gay man. “In my opinion, eight out of 10 people in Mexico City still have a tough time accepting the gay community,” he says.
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Christian says his sex education lessons in high school were designed with only heterosexual relationships in mind and largely taught condom use to prevent pregnancy.
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Christian with his mentor, Rocio. At Mexico Vivo, peers are mentors.

In Puebla, 130 km east of Mexico City, Gladis, 16, commutes three hours each day to get to school. She is happy to do so. Her own mother was a teenage parent, and Gladis has seen the sacrifices that her mother and grandparents have made, working hard to provide for her.

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“My parents and grandparents have done so much to ensure I have a good life, I want to be able to give back,” Gladis says. Thanks to her school, her family and access to comprehensive sexuality education, Gladis is able to make informed choices, and her options are wide open. She’s thinking of either following in her mother’s footsteps and becoming a teacher or developing her love of animals into a career by training to become a veterinarian.

Gladis and her mentor, Juan.

With Reckitt’s support, SAFETEEN First is on track to reach more than half a million young people by the end of 2025 across the three countries it serves. 

Sexual health is not just about being free of disease. Initiatives such as this contribute significantly to empowered and protected women, girls and young people. 

Having access to knowledge at a young age can have a transformative effect on people’s lives and futures.

“I feel like most people should get access to CSE at a younger age. I would have appreciated that too if I’d had the chance.”
–Jennifer

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