With Many Thanks for Bridging the Gap, Adding Wisdom and Insight, and Contributing So Much to WVD’s Ongoing Success
Alison Hoover
It has been a privilege to be in the WVD atmosphere for almost 10 years. Sometimes with close proximity, in Mexico in 2017, Rwanda in 2018, and supporting the teams in Uganda and Zambia this year. Other times it has been more remote, speaking at the WVD symposium in Colombia in 2019 when I was a graduate student, or supporting a groundbreaking research study in Bolivia in 2021.
There are two things that make WVD’s atmospheric pull so great for me. First, the mission. It’s striking how beautiful and how universal the sentiments are from a man getting a vasectomy. I’ve worked with WVD in 8 countries and each time, it’s the care for their partner, love for their family, and the earnest desire for a better world that brings men into the table. There is so much to be gained in reproductive health, gender equality, and climate from increasing awareness of vasectomy, and so much to learn about being a human from working with men who choose vasectomy. And have you seen the sperm costumes? It’s a ton of fun. A win-win-win.
The second thing is, of course, the people. The WVD team and its allies are phenomenal people with passion and brilliance unparalleled. Whether it was a training mission, a 24-hour live stream, an international conference, a Zoom call, or a vasectomy ski seminar, each occasion has been reliably inspiring, memorable, and again – fun! It’s the widespread curiosity and generosity among this group that has made it impossible to drift too far before, and it’s what will keep me coming back.
As I transition away from direct involvement and back into a higher elevation atmosphere, I’m grateful to carry forward both the mission and the people. I take up a place as a champion and advocate for this work and a grateful friend to the people. Here’s to this next era for WVD, and thanks for the privilege of being among you.
