New business seeks to remove shroud of shame from sexual and reproductive health issues

Dr Patricia Douglas during a recent engagement

Determined to peel away the veil that sometimes covers how sex and sexuality are addressed locally, young medical doctor Patricia Douglas has opened a consultancy company to provide quality, non-clinical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.

“Sex and sexuality and all things surrounding them are shrouded in shame and secrecy and the effects are detri-mental, such as unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infec-tions, infertility and many times death,” Dr Douglas said when she announced the opening of her consultancy business.

She noted that even when such matters are addressed, most times the focus is from a medical perspective, “forgetting that individuals are a whole and it’s not only the physical that should be addressed”. It was also pointed out that services, such as pre-menstrual and puberty awareness packages and sexual intimacy sessions focused on sexual pleasure for couples and even singles are not being offered in the country.