Sexual Health
Health & Medicine
Her Vagina Does Not Define Her
A direct, anatomically grounded refutation of the myth that frequent sexual activity causes vaginal looseness. The piece provides baseline facts about vaginal anatomy—shape, colour, size, odour—and explains the actual physiological factors (age, childbirth, hormonal shifts) that affect vaginal elasticity, positioning bodily knowledge as an antidote to shame and misogyny.
Myths About Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies
A clear-eyed breakdown of common misconceptions among young Cameroonians about emergency contraception, distinguishing between folk methods that do not work and evidence-based approaches like morning-after pills and douching.
The Physics and Perils of Penile Fracture: A Clinical Note
A straightforward medical explainer on penile fracture—a real urological injury caused by blunt force to an erect penis—covering its anatomy, mechanisms, warning signs, and the sexual positions and acts most likely to precipitate it.
Penis Captivus: Medical Fact and Urban Legend
A humorous exploration of penis captivus—the rare physical phenomenon in which penile engorgement and involuntary vaginal muscle contraction temporarily prevent withdrawal during intercourse—and its cultural standing as a supposed instrument of witchcraft against unfaithful partners.
On Virginity Testing in Cameroon: Why Bleeding Is Not Proof
This post examines the cultural belief that bleeding during first intercourse proves virginity, establishing through medical fact that the hymen's condition has no reliable connection to sexual history. The writer argues that virginity testing—whether cultural or clinical—is both scientifically baseless and ethically harmful.
Bitter Kola and Guinness: A Medical Enquiry Into Popular Belief
Drawing on pharmacology and Cameroonian folk wisdom, the writer examines whether bitter kola and alcohol—particularly Guinness—can delay ejaculation. The piece distinguishes between what science can confirm, what remains unproven, and what rests on anecdote, concluding with measured caution.
Sexual Harassment at UB: Institutional Failure and the Work Ahead
The writer recounts a near-rape incident involving a friend and a lecturer at the University of Buea, using it as a lens to examine how institutional power, gendered vulnerability, and victim-blaming enable sexual violence in Cameroonian universities. The piece argues that while feminist activism has brought necessary scrutiny to patriarchy and sexual assault, the systemic failures that allow predators to operate with impunity remain largely unaddressed.