IWD 2025: Debunking Harmful Health Myths and Practices African Women Still Face

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women's achievements, resilience, and progress. But it's also a time to challenge the barriers that hold women back, including harmful health myths and outdated practices that continue to affect African women.

For too long, misinformation about women's bodies, fertility, and well-being has shaped cultural norms, sometimes in ways that put our health and lives at risk. It's time to replace myths with facts.

Harmful myths about women's health

Myth: Drinking cold water causes fibroids. There is no scientific evidence for this. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths caused by hormonal changes and genetics, not temperature.

Myth: Menstrual pain is normal, so you just have to endure it. Mild cramps are common, but severe period pain is not normal. Conditions like endometriosis and PCOS can cause excruciating pain and need medical attention.

Myth: Women who can't have children are cursed. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment. It can affect both men and women, and blaming women alone adds unnecessary shame.

Myth: Vaginal steaming can "tighten" or "cleanse" the womb. The vagina is self-cleaning and does not need steaming, herbs, or special soaps. Vaginal steaming can cause burns, infections, and irritation.

Myth: Birth control makes women infertile. Contraceptives do not cause infertility. Some methods may delay fertility for a few months, but most women regain normal fertility soon after stopping.

Myth: Pregnancy "cleanses" the body and cures fibroids. Pregnancy does not cure fibroids or PCOS. In fact, fibroids can sometimes grow larger during pregnancy due to increased estrogen.

Myth: If you don't have sex, your vagina will close up. The vagina is elastic and does not change based on sexual activity. This myth has been used to shame women.

Myth: You can lose weight by tying your stomach after childbirth. Wrapping the stomach does not burn fat; it only compresses the abdomen temporarily. Proper diet and exercise are key for postpartum recovery.

Myth: Dark knuckles mean you are bleaching your skin. Dark knuckles can be caused by genetics, insulin resistance, eczema, or friction, not necessarily bleaching.

Myth: A woman's first child must be a boy to prove her fertility. The man's sperm determines the baby's sex, not the woman's body.

Harmful traditional practices that must end

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): the partial or total removal of external female genitalia. It has no medical benefits and can cause severe pain, infections, childbirth complications, and lifelong trauma. Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM.
• Breast ironing: pressing young girls' breasts with hot stones or objects. It does not stop puberty but can cause permanent tissue damage, infections, and psychological trauma.
• Virginity testing: medically inaccurate and a violation of women's rights. The hymen can break from non-sexual activities. The WHO has condemned the practice.
• Forced menstrual seclusion: isolating women during their periods increases the risk of infections and exposure to extreme conditions. No woman should be shamed or secluded for menstruating.
• Feeding restrictions for pregnant women: banning eggs, meat, or certain fruits deprives women of key nutrients. Proper nutrition is essential for pregnancy.

Why this matters on International Women's Day

This International Women's Day, we are not just celebrating women, we are fighting for their health, dignity, and rights. Misinformation and harmful traditions hold women back. Knowledge and empowerment push us forward. At Asele, we are committed to breaking the cycle of misinformation and ensuring every woman has access to factual, science-based health education.