{"id":1475,"date":"2026-07-31T07:19:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T07:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mylurah.com\/resources\/?p=1475"},"modified":"2026-07-31T07:19:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T07:19:22","slug":"talking-about-sex-fertility-and-reproductive-health-why-its-still-taboo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mylurah.com\/resources\/talking-about-sex-fertility-and-reproductive-health-why-its-still-taboo\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking About Sex, Fertility, and Reproductive Health: Why it\u2019s Still Taboo"},"content":{"rendered":"

“We Don’t Talk About That in This House”<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nineteen-year-old Tariro sat in a crowded clinic waiting room in Zimbabwe, too embarrassed to say the word “pregnant” out loud to the nurse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She’d known for weeks but hadn’t told a single adult in her family. At home, sex simply wasn’t a subject for questions, for concerns, or even for emergencies. So she carried the fear alone until she couldn’t anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tariro’s silence isn’t unusual. It’s the quiet inheritance of a culture where certain words are simply never spoken aloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Silence Runs So Deep<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nearly every society treats some subjects as taboo, but African cultures have built particularly strong barriers around anything sexual in nature, and researchers argue these taboos carry real, damaging consequences for young people’s health [1]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t confined to one country cultural barriers like taboos on sexuality and moral beliefs have been shown to complicate open communication across many low- and middle-income settings, including Zambia, Tanzania, and beyond [2].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even well-meaning parents often stay quiet not out of neglect, but because of their own discomfort. Studies from East Africa found that a lack of accurate sexual health knowledge, combined with deeply rooted cultural taboos and beliefs, consistently prevents parents from having these conversations with their children [3].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cost of Staying Quiet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When sex, fertility, and reproductive health remain unspoken, young people pay the price:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Risk rises sharply.<\/strong> In Zimbabwe, researchers have identified sexual health stigma and limited access to information as contributing factors associated with unsafe abortion practices and increased vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. [1].<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Information gaps widen.<\/strong> Without trusted adults to turn to, young people fill the silence with guesswork, rumour, or misinformation from unreliable sources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The silence isn’t only a women’s issue.<\/strong> A regional review across the Middle East and North Africa found that taboos rooted in gender expectations, religious misinterpretation, and rigid ideas about masculinity also leave men underserved and misinformed about their own reproductive health [4].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    At MyLurah, we believe every woman deserves to feel informed, supported, and understood throughout every stage of her reproductive journey. From navigating periods and understanding her body to preparing for pregnancy and adjusting to life after birth, we create a safe space for culturally informed education, meaningful conversations, and community support.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Breaking the Cycle of Silence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Change is possible, but it requires deliberate effort from families, health systems, and communities alike.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Normalise the vocabulary.<\/strong> Words like “pregnancy”, “contraception”, and “STI” should be spoken plainly at home, not whispered or avoided entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Equip parents, not just young people.<\/strong> Since many parents lack accurate knowledge themselves, community and school-based programmes should support carers directly, not assume they already have the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Involve young people in solutions.<\/strong> Researchers recommend that governments and organisations actively include young people in shaping reproductive health policies and services, rather than designing them without input [1].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Extend the conversation to men and boys.<\/strong> Reproductive health isn’t a “women’s topic” silence affects sons as much as daughters, often in ways families don’t recognise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Silence Protects No One<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Every unspoken question about sex, fertility, or reproductive health is a risk left unmanaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Breaking these taboos doesn’t mean abandoning culture, it means choosing children’s safety and wellbeing over generational discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The conversation may feel unfamiliar at first. Speaking it into existence is how the silence finally ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Landa, N., & Fushai, K. (2018). Exploring discourses of sexual and reproductive health taboos\/silences among youth in Zimbabwe<\/em>. Cogent Social Sciences. https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/2331205X.2018.1501188<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Author et al. (2022). Shifting Social Norms and Adolescent Girls’ Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Information in a South African Township<\/em>. PMC. https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9189597\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Author et al. (2026). Barriers to parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in East Africa: A review of qualitative research in four countries<\/em>. ResearchGate. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/345157492<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. El Ansari, W., El-Ansari, K., & Arafa, M. (2024). Breaking the silence – systematic review of the socio-cultural underpinnings of men’s sexual and reproductive health in Middle East and North Africa (MENA): A handful of taboos?<\/em> PMC. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC11703040\/<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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