Betania Allen, PhD

Researcher, Medical Sciences "D"

National Institute of Public Health of Mexico

Instructor, Qualitative Research Methods

National Institute of Public Health of Mexico

Biography

Betania Allen-Leigh, MA, PhD is a researcher in Medical sciences at the Public Health Methods Department in the Reproductive Health Division in the Center for Population Health Research at the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico.  Dr. Allen-Leigh received her BA in Latin American Studies from the University of California in Santa Cruz.  She also received her Masters and PhD in Anthropological Sciences from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa in Mexico.  Additionally, Dr. Allen-Leigh is a professor at the School of Public Health of Mexico where she teaches qualitative research methods.  Her research and publications focus on a variety of issues within the broad field of reproductive health. She is currently doing qualitative analysis of data her research team collected previously about adolescent and provider perspectives on youth-friendly reproductive healthcare; provider perspectives on implementation of guidelines for healthcare in the areas of counseling for gender violence, counseling about condom use for adolescents, and procedures during cesarean and vaginal births; and on women’s experiences of HPV testing.  Dr. Allen-Leigh is interested in sexual and reproductive health research that produces inputs and evidence for policy making, especially relating to quality of care, rights-based care and person-centered care that promotes gender equity.

Publications