Hey Girlfriends!! When was the last time you had an open discussion with your “Big Mama”, your “Auntie”, your sister, or your best friend about your sexual or reproductive health? As a young girl, I remember sayings such as “It’s not polite to talk underneath a woman’s skirt”, or “Lady problems shouldn’t be discussed”. Do you remember those sayings or any similar messages? If so, we need to erase those negative messages from our memory banks! It is time to BREAK THE SILENCE!

Thousands of women of color are dying from AIDS, cervical cancer, and complications of childbirth. Women of color are having difficulty bearing children due to fibroid tumors, hysterectomies, and other infertility issues. Millions of women of color are contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HPV, gonorrhea, herpes, and many others because we are choosing to play “Russian Roulette” with our sexual health.

So, what are we going to do about it?

1. Visit your gynecologist every year. Ask for a complete examination. If you are not sure what tests to ask for, ask your gynecologist, or family practitioner.
2. If you are sexually active, ALWAYS HAVE PROTECTED SEX!
3. Conduct regular self-exams of your genital area using a mirror. Every woman should know what their genital area looks like “inside and out” so they are aware of any changes that may appear.
4. If you are experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, vaginal discharges, genital irritation, discoloration, surface changes, or unusual pain, or odor consult your physician immediately.
5. If you are experiencing difficulty conceiving a child, consult your gynecologist. Request a thorough examination and a referral for a fertility specialist that has experience with women/couples of color.
6. READ! READ! READ! Gather books, go to the Internet, and collect pamphlets from your doctor’s office about your sexual and reproductive health!
7. Openly discuss your sexual and reproductive health with your partner. This needs to become a comfortable topic of discussion between the two of you. If you can be sexually active and perhaps conceive a child, then a discussion about the above issues should be a “piece of cake”!
8. Create time to discuss your sexual and reproductive health with older women in your life. Tell them that you need information to make good and responsible choices. I guarantee they will talk with you candidly and will share their personal experiences with you.
9. Talk openly with your daughters, nieces, Goddaughters, and little cousins about their sexual and reproductive health! Don’t create the same “cycle of silence” for them! Allow them to speak freely, ask questions, and give them good, accurate, sound, and educated advice, suggestions and information!
10. Have a “Girlfriends Forum”. Schedule time to talk about sex, pregnancy, childbirth, sexually transmitted diseases, menstrual cycles, fibroid tumors, menopause, and anything that comes to mind. No question or topic should be off-limits. If you don’t know the answer, someone should go find out.

TREAT YOURSELF WITH RESPECT! You are a QUEEN DIVA and your body should be treated as your temple!

-Dr. Lia Knox