“More educators, more access”: One woman’s dedication to delivering sexuality education to young people across Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – “I’m dedicated to bringing comprehensive sexuality education to as many people in Mexico City as possible,” said Rocío Ordóñez Pedraza, a 32-year-old psychologist and advocate working with the Mexico Vivo Foundation. 

Ms. Pedraza is intent on breaking taboos and stigmas around sexuality education, especially among more conservative communities where the topic is rarely spoken about. 

“We also focus on early detection of sexually transmitted infections, to provide treatment promptly and protect long-term health,” she explained to UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. 

Her work with young people is a part of the SAFETEEN First programme, a joint initiative between UNFPA, the Mexico VIVO Foundation and Reckitt, a multinational health and hygiene company. Together they hope to provide comprehensive sexuality education to more than 20,000 young people in Mexico living in vulnerable communities, every year.

“Sexuality as we knew it has changed – social media and the pandemic brought new ways of living and understanding it,” said Ms. Pedraza, who keeps her curriculum constantly updated based on digital trends, language shifts and youth culture. “If my mentee doesn’t understand the words I’m using, I’ve already created distance. So I make the information simple and relatable.”

Creating a reality check

Ms. Pedrzra’s work goes far beyond textbooks and clinics, with an approach grounded in empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a deep commitment to young people and their well-being. Her younger brother, an adolescent himself, is one of her trusted informants. 

“He tells me what they’re watching or talking about,” she said. “When we go to health fairs or workshops, it’s the adolescents themselves who guide us. They’ll say, ‘I don’t understand that,’ and then we learn what words or images connect with them.”

Thirteen-year-old secondary student Matilda Geraldine agreed. “I make friends on TikTok,” she said. “Online, I can easily connect with like-minded people and bond over shared interests.” These ‘virtual friends’ have become her closest connections, and she feels comfortable confiding in them.

It was through the internet that Matilda also first learned about sex. However, with the quantity of information available online, she preferred to rely on sex education workshops held at her school – one of which reached over 1,500 children in a single day – to learn the facts and debunk myths.

Ms. Pedraza supports young people and community educators to create inclusive, accessible content that resonates with adolescents’ lived realities; all too often, though, those realities are painful. Many of the young girls she meets face systemic violence – from their families, in relationships, at school and at public institutions. “It’s brutal. So many girls are being abused, and many times they don’t even realize they have a choice,” she explained. 

Motherhood in adolescence in Mexico is all too common: In 2023, more than 100,000 births took place among girls aged 10 to 17 – one fifth of them to girls under age 16.

“In some places, a girl's only dream is to become a mother, not because it’s what they want, but because it’s an escape from everything else.”

Reclaiming young people’s voices

Despite the many challenges young people face, from inadequate information to lack of employment and livelihood opportunities, many are still stepping up as leaders in their communities. And with support from people like Ms. Pedraza, a generation of engaged community advocates is taking shape in Mexico City.

But more investment is needed. When asked what she would change to make sexuality education more effective, Ms. Pedraza is emphatic: “More educators, more access,” she responded. 

Since December 2022, the SAFETEEN initiative has been addressing adolescent pregnancies, preventing sexually transmitted infections among young people, striving to overturn the many obstacles standing in the way of full access to sexual health and reproductive rights for everyone.

Although it can be challenging to bring up sexuality-related topics, Ms. Pedraza and her team are dedicated to helping young people reclaim their voices, their rights and their futures. “It’s about arriving with humility, opening doors where there are none, and building trust so that real education can happen.”

One of the keys to this, she explained, is listening. “From an adult-centred world, we assume girls don’t have a voice, but they do,” she told UNFPA. “We just need to name them, see them, say ‘you exist.’ Show them that yes, they can. They’ve been told they can’t, but we can help revive a spark of hope.”