Men who have sex with men (MSM), commercial sex workers (CSW) and their potential clients, migrant workers, uniformed service men and prisoners

Unintended pregnancies averted: 4,300 (explained)

Targeted Behavior Change Communications (BCC) since 2003

Generic condom distribution since 2004

HIV

Unique Educational Approaches
Targeting high-risk populations, including men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and their clients, migrant workers and uniformed personnel, PSI/Mexico tailors its educational outreach programs to be effective, engaging, and applicable to each of these groups. To date, PSI/Mexico is using three methods:

• “Abordajes”
Abordajes is the most commonly used BCC method, accounting for 80% of all activities implemented by PSI/Mexico and NGO partners. This method consists of an informal structured conversation between a trained educator and a member of the target audience. Abordajes is conducted in places where high-risk groups gather and enables individuals to ask candid questions about HIV prevention. Since many individuals belonging to high-risk groups suffer from discrimination, this customized and discreet method is an effective way to convey messages promoting healthier behaviors, while maintaining trust and confidentiality. Based on the Stages of Change model, “abordajes” identifies where an individual stands in terms of adopting a particular healthy behavior and the message is adapted to the individual's level.

• HIV prevention in Prisons
Implementing more than 360 workshops with prisoners since 2003, PSI/Mexico has reached thousands of prisoners with messages discouraging them from engaging in high-risk behaviors, both in and outside of prisons, and offering solutions and answers to health and prevention questions. Workshops are conducted in prisons throughout the country and participant demand has grown to levels that exceeds expectations and session capacity. In 2006, CENSIDA funded PSI training programs for 13 Mexican state health representatives to facilitate the use of PSI’s approach in their own states.

Expanding Condom Availability
Complementing its BCC activities, PSI/Mexico began a non-branded condom availability campaign in 2006. In an effort to make protection affordable and available where high-risk behavior is prevalent (bars, hotels, cantinas, discotheques, etc.), PSI/Mexico is increasing condom availability in three major tourist cities (Acapulco, Cancun and Veracruz) where sex work is prevalent. Using a segmentation of outlets by socio-economic level, this campaign makes condoms more readily available — regardless of brand — which will eliminate absence of condoms from “hot spots” as a factor for not using protection.

Collaboration with local NGOs
PSI employs its own BCC staff but most field activities are implemented through a network of 19 NGOs (including 5 faith-based organizations), linked to PSI/Mexico by performance-based subcontracts. With ongoing quality control monitoring, PSI/Mexico ensures that partner NGOs are trained and are properly employing PSI Mexico’s techniques. Continuous exchanges with PSI/Mexico’s staff helps strengthen the capacity of these partner NGOs, particularly reinforcing their ability to deliver hich impact, targeted messages to groups that are most vulnerable to HIV infection.

Reproductive Health

Family Planning
Although funding for emergency contraception (EC) products expired in 2006, PSI/Mexico continues to educate. A web page with an access code is being set-up for health providers and a toll-free hotline began operation in January 2006. The hotline line is operated by Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegída (GIRE). The Ministry of Health recently agreed to advertise the toll-free line in all government web sites related to reproductive health, emergency contraception, and sexual violence. In collaboration with Catholics for Choice, two calendars were produced and distributed to university students and pharmacists for further promotion of EC.