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But it’s also a time to challenge the barriers that hold women back, including harmful health myths and outdated practices that continue to affect African women.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 and reject harmful traditions that have no place in modern society.

Let’s bust some of the biggest health myths and call out the practices that continue to harm African women.

🚫 Harmful Myths About Women’s Health

1. Myth: Drinking Cold Water Causes Fibroids

💡 Truth: There is no scientific evidence that cold water contributes to fibroids. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths caused by hormonal changes and genetics, not temperature.

2. Myth: Menstrual Pain Is Normal, So You Just Have to Endure It

💡 Truth: Mild cramps are common, but severe period pain is not normal. Conditions like endometriosis and PCOS can cause excruciating pain and need medical attention. Women shouldn’t have to suffer in silence.

3. Myth: Women Who Can’t Have Children Are Cursed or Have Done Something Wrong

💡 Truth: Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment. It can affect both men and women, and blaming women alone adds unnecessary shame to a situation that needs medical support, not stigma.

4. Myth: Vaginal Steaming Can ‘Tighten’ or ‘Cleanse’ the Womb

💡 Truth: The vagina is self-cleaning and does not need steaming, herbs, or special soaps. Vaginal steaming can actually cause burns, infections, and irritation rather than provide any real health benefits.

5. Myth: Birth Control Makes Women Infertile

💡 Truth: Contraceptives do not cause infertility. Some methods may delay fertility for a few months, but most women regain normal fertility soon after stopping birth control.

6. Myth: Pregnancy ‘Cleanses’ the Body and Cures Fibroids or Other Reproductive Issues

💡 Truth: Pregnancy does not cure fibroids or PCOS. In fact, fibroids can sometimes grow larger during pregnancy due to increased estrogen levels, leading to complications.

7. Myth: If You Don’t Have Sex, Your Vagina Will Close Up

💡 Truth: The vagina is elastic and does not change based on sexual activity. This myth has been used to shame women and police their bodies unnecessarily.

8. Myth: You Can Lose Weight by Tying Your Stomach After Childbirth

💡 Truth: Wrapping the stomach after childbirth does not burn fat. It only compresses the abdomen temporarily. Proper diet and exercise are key for postpartum recovery.

9. Myth: Dark Knuckles Mean You Are Bleaching Your Skin

💡 Truth: Dark knuckles can be caused by genetics, hormonal conditions like insulin resistance, eczema, or friction—not necessarily skin bleaching.

10. Myth: A Woman’s First Child Must Be a Boy to Prove Her Fertility

💡 Truth: The man’s sperm determines the baby’s sex, not the woman’s body. This belief has unfairly placed pressure on women for generations.

🚫 Harmful Traditional Practices That Must End

11. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

💡 Reality: FGM involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, often done to control women’s sexuality. It has no medical benefits and can lead to severe pain, infections, childbirth complications, and lifelong trauma.

Fact: Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, with high prevalence in some parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This practice must end.

12. Breast Ironing

💡 Reality: In some African communities, young girls’ breasts are pressed with hot stones or objects to delay their growth, based on the belief that it will prevent early sexual attention.

Fact: Breast ironing does not stop puberty but can cause permanent tissue damage, infections, and psychological trauma.

13. Virginity Testing

💡 Reality: Virginity tests, which involve checking for an intact hymen, are medically inaccurate and violate women’s rights. The hymen can break from non-sexual activities like exercise or tampon use.

Fact: The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned virginity testing as a harmful, degrading, and unscientific practice.

14. Forced Menstrual Seclusion

💡 Reality: In some cultures, women are isolated in huts during their periods because they are seen as "unclean."

Fact: This increases the risk of infections and exposure to extreme conditions. Menstruation is natural, and no woman should be shamed or secluded for it.

15. Feeding Restrictions for Pregnant Women

💡 Reality: Some cultures ban pregnant women from eating eggs, meat, or certain fruits out of unfounded fears that they will harm the baby.

Fact: Proper nutrition is essential for pregnancy, and depriving women of key nutrients can cause serious health issues for both the mother and the child.

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 that every woman has access to factual, science-based health education.

🔹 Your health matters. Your body deserves the truth.

🔹 Speak up, challenge harmful traditions, and advocate for change.

🔹 Let’s choose knowledge over myths and empowerment over fear.

💬 Have you heard any of these myths or practices before? What else do you think needs to be challenged? Let’s talk in the comments!

Happy International Women’s Day! ✨