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“Sex Will Make Your Fingers Grow Thin and Then You Die”: The Interplay of Culture, Myths, and Taboos on African Immigrant Mothers’ Perceptions of Reproductive Health Education with Their Daughters Aged 10–14 Years

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Abstract

This paper examines the convergence of culture, myths, and taboos surrounding reproductive health issues African immigrant women, living in the United States, learned during childhood in their countries of origin. We also discuss how mothers’ perceptions of reproductive health education (RHE) influenced the education of their own daughters aged 10–14 years. This was a qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected via interviews and demographic survey. The sample size was 20 African immigrant mothers living in a mid-sized city in the U.S. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Myths and taboos related to menstruation, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS were reported by the women interviewed. Discussion of these issues was largely taboo, and most myths the mothers learned growing up pertained to sexual intercourse, pregnancy prevention, and pregnancy termination using non-hormonal ingested substances. Myths and taboos about sexual issues are widespread in Africa and are propagated to control sexual behavior, especially that of unmarried people, particularly women. By examining these myths and taboos, we are able to somewhat contextualize the mothers’ immigrant experience regarding RHE. Although myths were reported, the majority of mothers did not appear to believe them. The most significant taboo reported was sexual intercourse. This in turn led to mothers’ overemphasis on abstinence for their daughters. It is also noteworthy that this sample contained mainly African women who overall were highly educated, spoke English, and could adequately navigate life in the U.S. It is unclear what the results would be if we were to examine African immigrant women with less achievements in these areas.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for the study described in this manuscript was provided by (1) the Sigma Theta Tau Eta Chapter Research Award, (2) the Beryl B. Haughton Jackson Endowed Fund for Graduate Students to Study Women’s Health, and (3) The Center for Health Equity (CHE) Masters and Doctoral Student Scholarship Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family, Community, & Health Systems Sciences, School of Nursing,, State University of New York, University at Buffalo, 3435 Main Street, Room 201D, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA

    Kafuli Agbemenu

  2. School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Margaret Hannan

  3. Department of Acute and Tertiary Care, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, 239 Victoria Building, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Julius Kitutu

  4. Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 222 Parran Hall, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Martha Ann Terry

  5. Department of Health Promotion & Development, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, 440 Victoria Building, 3500 Victoria Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Willa Doswell

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  1. Kafuli Agbemenu
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  2. Margaret Hannan
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  3. Julius Kitutu
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  4. Martha Ann Terry
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  5. Willa Doswell
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Correspondence to Kafuli Agbemenu.

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All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Agbemenu, K., Hannan, M., Kitutu, J. et al. “Sex Will Make Your Fingers Grow Thin and Then You Die”: The Interplay of Culture, Myths, and Taboos on African Immigrant Mothers’ Perceptions of Reproductive Health Education with Their Daughters Aged 10–14 Years. J Immigrant Minority Health 20, 697–704 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0675-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0675-4

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