"Learning" is the initial stage when a young man begins thinking about sex and establishes the foundation of their understanding of sexuality and relationship dynamics.
This phase in life is all about understanding what sex and sexuality is. Users and beneficiaries may begin exploring contraceptive options as they begin for the first time engaging in family planning thoughts and activities. Intermediaries try to provide educational support and advice to help inform these initial family planning decisions while individuals learn about their bodies and related needs.
USERS
This group is defined as the individuals that will take or utilize the next generation of contraceptives designed for men.
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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College-bound Carlos
College-bound Carlos is stoked to be leaving the confines of home for the first time and heading off to campus for the university experience. His excitement is equal parts to do with what happens outside the classroom as within: he’s eager to party and make memories with friends and girlfriends alike. His thoughts are less focused on long-term relationships than they are with meeting interesting people and letting things develop from there. Motivations: He’s not super experienced sexually, but he’s hoping to change that. He does know that it’s important for him to be protected, and to avoid anything that could negatively impact his education, such as an unintended pregnancy. Barriers: While he’s familiar with condoms, he hasn’t thought too deeply about the risk involved in a promiscuous lifestyle. |
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Curious Curtis
Curious Curtis is pretty new to all this sex stuff, and is eager to learn more. He doesn’t really have an opinion yet when it comes to contraception and the different methods that are out there, though he approves of them and sees their value. He’s on-board with providing people the resources they need to manage their fertility, but still needs more information before he formulates any concrete opinions about what’s best for him, his needs, and the needs of future partners. Motivations: He wants to find a method that works for him, but was surprised to learn that there are only two contraceptive methods for men. This despite his general understanding and acceptance of the need for women to have ample contraceptive protection. Barriers: Not receiving much of a “talk” from his parents or school, his sex education is self-taught, from the internet, and certainly not comprehensive. |
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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Derpy Danny
Derpy Danny means well, but really just doesn’t get it. He is impulsive and out to have a good time without thinking too deeply about the consequences that could result from actions. He really likes sex, even though he’s not entirely certain what’s going on “down there” biologically, both for himself and potential partners. Motivations: He doesn’t want to have children, but doesn’t really consider what role he could or should play in making that a reality. He also does not see himself as a reproductive being; he’s not in tune with the fact that he can cause a pregnancy, but rather sees his role as entirely passive. Barriers: He may be aware of contraception, but it’s not a priority. If a partner doesn’t tell him to wear a condom, it won’t even occur to him that he should. |
Beneficiaries
This group includes individuals who will benefit from the next generation of male contraceptives without having to take or use these products themselves.
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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Collaborative Connie
Collaborative Connie is the consummate team player. She loves group projects and fundamentally sees working with others as far more practical than going it alone when trying to accomplish something meaningful. After all, a few pairs of hands are better than just one, right? When she first about sex and contraception, she immediately thought of the proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Motivations: She understands that having both partners use contraception will only enhance the protection against an unintended pregnancy. She views male methods of birth control as a critical, missing piece in reducing unintended pregnancies. Barriers: Aside from advocating for male methods of birth control, she doesn’t know what she can do to help champion the cause. She needs guidance and resources to be a more effective champion of the cause. |
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College-committed Carla
College-committed Carla has worked very hard to get to where she is academically. She’s consistently ranked at the top of her class, and sees a clear through-line between her educational accomplishments and career pursuits. She understands that the effort she puts forth today will lay the foundation for future success, and is willing to sacrifice short-term experiences and interests for the promise of a better tomorrow. Motivations: She will do whatever it takes to ensure that she achieves her educational objectives without disruption. Barriers: She is very careful when it comes to contraception, using her own method while also insisting her male partners use a condom. Having both partners use contraceptive methods makes her feel safe knowing her college education won’t be derailed by a pregnancy, but she’s frustrated by the lack of options for her partner(s). |
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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Overwhelmed Ophelia
Overwhelmed Ophelia has a whole lot on her mind right now. She just had “the talk” with her parents after her initial introduction to sexual education, and is still processing all that she learned. One gigantic takeaway for her was that, as a person with a uterus and do to the lack of male contraceptive methods, she will have to take something if she wants to have sex and avoid a pregnancy. WTF?! What’s that all about?! Motivations: She wants and needs to learn more about the resources available to her to manage her own family planning goals, but also really wants to know why men aren’t expected to equally participate in that conversation, as well as why they lack contraceptive products outside condom and vasectomy. Barriers: She is early on in her reproductive journey and still has much to learn about, both the science as well as the social structures that impact conversations around sex and contraception. |
Intermediaries
This group is composed of individuals that will neither take, nor directly benefit from the next generation of male contraceptives, but still have a vested interest in ensuring their development.
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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Resource Ralphie
Resource Ralphie is the go-to person for any and all information regarding sex and sexual health. He must have someone close to him that works in sexual education because he seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. He is comfortable using the language and vocabulary of contraception, proving himself literate with definitions of sex, sexuality, gender, and more. Motivations: He’s open to discussing sex at any time and with anyone, and doesn’t get embarrassed by the topic, considering it both natural and intrinsic to the human experience. He believes in the power of knowledge, and feels educating people about their sexuality could be a professional calling of his. Barriers: He is baffled as to why there aren’t more male methods of contraception, and more people clamoring for them. He assumed everyone had access to the resources he has, and the interest in utilizing them. |
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Supportive Sibling Sarah
Supportive Sibling Sarah has basically raised her younger siblings, with her absentee parents far too busy with their personal and professional lives to prioritize their parental responsibilities. She relishes the role though, and is an empath through and through; she worries deeply for her siblings’ well being and does whatever she can to help them, sometimes to her own detriment. Motivations: She’s equally concerned about her brother and sister vis-a-vis contraception, but really finds the lack of options for men troubling. She wants her brother to achieve his goals in life, and is dead set on helping him do so. Barriers: She’s a “worker bee” who makes those around her wonder if she ever sleeps: juggling her studies, part-time jobs, relationship, and hobbies along with her role as de facto Mom to her younger siblings. She only has so much time to support others. |
(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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(persona by Yu luck from the Noun Project)
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Teacher Tamara
Teacher Tamara really cares about her students. She's that automatic go to whenever a student needs a friendly ear; she's likely the first adult that students have that 1) make them realize adults are “normal” people, and 2) adults can be trustworthy advocates and supporters. She is more apt to view her students like her own children then she is as simply a student in need of instruction. Her empathy extends well beyond the classroom as well: she knows what her lived experience was like and want to help their students successfully navigate life’s challenges, including dating, sex, and all that comes with it. Motivations: She pursued sexual education as a career in order to help lay a positive, healthy foundation for children to build off of as they grow and experience life. Barriers: Her relationship with her students as an educator limits her influence to providing advice. |
Using the Personas
Personas are fictional characters created as stand-ins or avatars for the different types of individuals that may use or be impacted by a product. They allow for the development of a deeper understanding of users’ needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals by allowing you to empathize with another’s reality and point of view. As such, it is important to identify and expand different user characteristics in order to make the personas as rooted in reality as possible.
To help get you started with using the personas for ideation purposes, we have created a page dedicated to various games, activities, and workshop agendas. We encourage you to try these out, and reach out to us with any questions or suggestions. Please also be sure to share any outputs from your persona design activities with us!
To help get you started with using the personas for ideation purposes, we have created a page dedicated to various games, activities, and workshop agendas. We encourage you to try these out, and reach out to us with any questions or suggestions. Please also be sure to share any outputs from your persona design activities with us!
(Please note: there are many different ways that one can utilize personas in ideation activities, and we encourage everyone to explore as many different approaches to using them as possible. Organizations like the Interaction Design Foundation, Open Design Kit, IDEO, Development Impact & You, Session Lab, and others are great resources for inspiration on how to utilize design thinking and personas, so please be sure to seek out additional information to help guide your work.)
* - Disclaimer: The development of these personas was conducted as a design exercise. The foundation of the exercise is the qualitative understanding of the male contraception ecosystem that MCI has developed through our work. We have engaged with stakeholders that we feel are a holistic representation of this ecosystem: researchers, funders, regulatory agencies, government officials, product developers, marketers, students, parents, advocates, potential users, and the general public in general. The following is intended to be provocative. Our hope is that this will catalyze conversations that help elucidate the male contraception field, and that these discussions afford us all the opportunity to understand and imagine who will use, benefit from, and advocate for male contraceptive methods.
