Personas: Concluding Life Stage

​As men progress through their reproductive journey, it's important to consider how their reproductive health needs change with age. Personas are fictional characters that are useful for understanding the thoughts, interests, and needs of a specific target audience. MCI is using personas to contextualize the lived experiences of potential users, beneficiaries, and intermediaries with regard to male contraception. In doing so, we hope to gain a greater understanding of how novel male contraceptive products can serve the evolving needs of sperm producers.

​As men approach the final phase of their reproductive journey, known as the "Concluding" stage, they find themselves at a point where their focus shifts from family planning to other life considerations. Whether they have fathered children or not, men in this stage live out the realities of their earlier family planning decisions, while the intermediaries in their lives, such as partners, family members, and healthcare professionals, shift their focus to helping younger generations navigate their own reproductive journeys.

In the "Concluding" stage, male contraceptive personas like "I’m Good Ivan," "Protective Patrice," and "Wrap-it-up Romit" represent different facets of men’s experiences and decisions at this stage in life. This phase in life finds users and beneficiaries living out the reality of their family planning decisions. They have completed their reproductive journey in one way or another, and their focus is now shifting towards other life considerations, while intermediaries such as “Space-em-out Silas,” and “Stop-the-cycle Cyrus” shift their focus to helping younger generations navigate their own journey, playing crucial roles in supporting the reproductive journeys of others, even as they themselves no longer need to actively engage in family planning.

For beneficiaries in this stage, personas like “Child-free Chastain” and “Mama Bear Bernice” reflect the lived experiences of women who have either chosen not to have children or are deeply invested in their children’s wellbeing. Chastain, who decided that raising a family wasn’t right for her, is particularly attuned to the societal pressures women face and advocates for greater male involvement in family planning. Bernice, a stay-at-home mom, is transitioning her focus from her own reproductive health to ensuring her children are protected as they step into adulthood. Both women represent a shift in focus towards the younger generation, emphasizing the need for more male contraceptive options to ease the burden traditionally placed on women.

As men transition through the "Concluding" stage of their reproductive journey, their personal focus may shift away from their own family planning needs, but their experiences, motivations, and concerns continue to shape their perspectives on the importance of male contraception. These personas underscore the diverse and evolving needs of men and their partners, highlighting the crucial role that innovative male contraceptive options can play in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their stage in life, has the ability to make informed and empowered choices about their reproductive health.

The "Concluding" stage is not just the end of one journey, but the beginning of another—one where men like Ivan, Patrice, and Romit, along with the women and intermediaries in their lives, contribute to a broader societal shift toward greater reproductive equity and shared responsibility. As the next generation steps into their own reproductive journeys, the lessons learned and the gaps identified in the "Concluding" stage will inform the development and adoption of new male contraceptive methods, paving the way for a future where everyone has access to the resources they need to live out their family planning decisions with confidence and peace of mind.

Personas are useful tools for understanding the thoughts, needs, and motivations of potential male contraceptive users and nonusers alike. Every person can be connected to male contraception in some shape or form and personas are illustrative devices that create concrete examples of individuals that would be affected by their development. Male Contraceptive Initiative has used personas to create various games, activities, and workshop agendas.

Check out the persona games and activities by clicking the button below:

Mci's persona games & activities