International Women’s Day: Overcoming taboos for positive sexual health

Raising a voice for transgender women seeking asylum

Persecution has long driven people to seek asylum far from home, as is the case for a small community of transgender women who have, over time, fled Cuba for the safety of Greece.

But, although the women are safer now, they still struggle to access healthcare in their new location.

“Most of the trans who came here do not have any medication. They experience sexually transmitted diseases – that is life. But it is very difficult to find the medical support,” says Yuli, an advocate for her community.

Since 2016, MSF has operated an outpatient day centre in Athens which currently offers a comprehensive package of services for migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and marginalised groups of people in need of healthcare. 

All the activities are supported by a large team of cultural mediators, including translators, who also join the outreach team that extends services as far as they can to communities like Yuli’s.

Yuli has made it her mission to encourage and motivate her peers to prioritise their sexual health and protect themselves.

Standing up for sex workers’ sexual health

For sex workers in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, access to medical and psychological care has been limited by social stigma and lack of inclusive services.

Society’s judgement has been mirrored in the stance of healthcare staff who have been disdainful instead of welcoming to sex workers seeking information, protection from infection, or treatment. 

MSF opened the San Pedro Sula Clinic in July 2021 to improve access to care for the sex worker and LGBTQI+ community.

Nadia, who has been visiting the clinic for almost two years now, says:

“It has been a blessing to find MSF’s clinic. I can find everything: prevention and control of HIV, syphilis and sexually transmitted diseases, family planning… psychological help and social work.”

Outreach teams also visit the community to help overcome mistrust and misinformation.

“Personally, I suffered too much during the time I didn't take care of myself,” says Nadia.

“I realised that everything has a price—that taking care of myself was priceless.”

Including teen mothers in healthcare and social support

For teenage girls in Zimbabwe, falling pregnant is taboo, but they often have little or no say in decisions affecting their bodies and lives. They also have little or no access to appropriate information and services and are dissuaded from seeking it.

In 2020, as COVID-19 lockdowns closed schools and limited work, incomes and movement, there was a surge in unplanned pregnancies in Zimbabwe – and in the community surrounding MSF’s adolescent sexual and reproductive health program in Mbare and Epworth.

To respond to the specific needs of the pregnant girls, the MSF team formed the Teen Mums’ Club.

When Marvellous became pregnant just before starting a new year of school, her parents were shocked.

“I did not know what to do or who to turn to,” she says.

However, discovering the club gave her the opportunity to meet other girls like her, learn about the risks associated with early pregnancy, and gain knowledge about issues such as contraception, safe sex and pregnancy.

Inspired by her experience Marvellous is now a peer educator in the club.