SRHEd

The actress Lupita Nyong’o recently disclosed that she was living with over 50 fibroids- after a previous surgery to remove 25 fibroids from her uterus. As a Black African Muslim woman Obstetrician-Gynecologist, this is a painfully sore topic for me (no this is not about me, and we wish Lupita the best)

Black women are disproportionately affected by uterine fibroids. Over 80% of us have them by the age of 50. That’s 4 of every 5 Black woman who lives to the age of 50. Our symptoms start earlier, are more severe, are often diagnosed later- and we are 3x more likely to have hysterectomy than white women.

When you add religion to the mix, Muslim women are less likely to seek medical attention, leading to more severe conditions, further delay in diagnosis and more radical treatments options- that we then do not take because “permanent sterilization is haraam.”

This isn’t theory or speculation. This is the painful reality of my life and my career. I had a hysterectomy at age 40, too, due to fibroids- comment “link” and I’ll DM you about the essay I wrote on it. And I cannot count the number of women- Black Muslim women- I have seen and counseled through getting help for fibroids.

Does it suck that women’s health- particularly those issues that disproportionately impact Black women - is understudied, underfunded and under researched? Yes! Is it a particular kind of agony to watch women like yourself deny themselves of what little intervention that is available out of fear, shame and stigma that comes up in our communities against having s*xual and reproductive health conversations? Omg, yes!

I’m tired of the silence. I refuse the shame. I need Muslims - Muslim women in particular- to stand up and champion open, faith-aligned conversations about s*xual and reproductive health.

Will you be a part of this?

SRHFest will be doing exactly that, in less than 4 weeks. The link is in our bio - get yourself a ticket, or support someone else

Bismillaah!

Calling the hopeful

Have read this article by our founder ?

If you haven’t, you’re missing out!

Comment “First Night” below and we’ll send you the link

😘

We are excited for this, our collaboration with the British Islamic Medical Association, BIMA .ima for SRHFest 2026

BIMA leadership has been supportive of .d from her inception and we are glad that the current leadership and the Women’s Health team remain open to working with us towards making SRHFest accessible to their network.

With shared goals of bridging cultural divide and strengthening community trust, BIMA was a natural choice for strategic and community collaboration and we are proud to have their support.

If you are new here, SRHFest is a weekend long, multi-event digital festival celebrating open, faith aligned s*xual and reproductive health conversations in Muslim communities. To support this vision, see the link in our bio

Being accepted as a digital participant at UN Women UK’s CSW70 is one of those moments that feel quietly significant.

In my roles over the years; as an obstetrician-gynaecologist, s*xual and reproductive health educator and advocate, I’ve spent years navigating the space between global reproductive rights language and the lived realities of Muslim women.

Sometimes those worlds speak past each other. Many times they misunderstand each other. Too often they mistrust each other.
But they don’t have to.

Now as a social enterprenuer, the work we’re building through SRHEd as embodied by the upcoming SRHFest sits exactly in the intersection of faith, autonomy, ethics, and s*xual & reproductive health.

Being part of CSW70 is a reminder, to me first of all, that Muslim women’s s*xual and reproductive health voices belong in global conversations — not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the global sisterhood.

I’m looking forward to be in the room, even digitally. And even more committed to the work on the we started on ground.

OK, fine. I’ll say “some.”
Some Muslim women are harming themselves to prove they are “pious enough.”

I almost did.

2006, I was a pregnant young medical doctor, working alternate 24-hour hospital shifts. I was also weaning a toddler. I. Was. Exhausted.

Yet I fasted.

I knew Islam didn’t demand it. Because for two years before that, I hadn’t fasted. 2004, I was vomiting constantly with hyperemesis gravidarum. 2005, I was barely functioning as a postpartum first time mum, trying to establish breastfeeding.

And both years I kept hearing:

“Why aren’t you fasting?”

“Women have done this for centuries.”

“Are you going to make up all those fasts?”

I quickly learned that while Pregnancy and breastfeeding are valid exemptions in Islam, in many communities, they are treated like excuses.

By 2006, I already had nearly 60 fasts to repay. Paying monetary compensation was also looked down upon as not quite pious enough. So I pushed myself.

I fasted 19 days in the unfamiliar heat of Bauchi, with the punishing pace of my work before things fell apart.
It took one night of severe diarrhoea.

The next morning I couldn’t walk properly. I admitted myself to hospital. Spent 3 days on admission.

All because I felt I had to prove something that Allaah had already made easy on us. As believers, when community pressure overrides divine mercy, we have a problem.

And this is not just about fasting.

It’s about:

• Virginity myths
• Fertility shame
• Silence around s*xual pain and assault
• Pre-marital ignorance
• Mothers terrified to talk to their children about s*xChildren unable to talk to their parents about their abuse

We have for too long confused modesty with silence.
And silence is hurting us all, including women.

This is exactly why I created SRHFest 2026. The theme -
“Let’s Talk About…” — is about celebrating open, faith-aligned s*xual and reproductive health conversations in Muslim communities.

Because faith does not require harm. And Muslim women should not have to suffer quietly to appear righteous.

If this post makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself why.

If not, Comment LET’S TALK and we’ll send the details to SRHFest. Link is also in bio.

A gentle reflection on this first jum’ah of Ramadan 1447

We’re chuffed to announce that is on board to collaborate with us on SRHFest!!!

Split Banana is a social enterprise that provides inclusive and creative Relationship and S*x Education (RSE) across the UK, An award-winning non-profit that helps young people build healthy relationships with their minds, their bodies and each other.

And since we at SRHEd share Split Banana’s belief that everyone has the right to an RSE which reflects themselves and the society they live in, we look forward to working together with this amazing team.

In addition to her individual contribution to event 1 of the festival as a Muslim professional working in s*xual (health) education ‘s will be supporting event 3 with a special session to Muslim parents on navigating RSE curriculum in schools.

Like I said, we’re chuffed!

- - -

If you’re new here, SRHFest is a multi-event digital festival holding 28-29 March 2026, celebrating open faith aligned conversations about s*xual and reproductive health conversations in Muslim communities. Links to the tickets are in our bio

Our next panelist for the Launch Event (Event 1 of our upcoming SRHFest 2026) needs no introduction…

We’re stoked that will be joining us in discussing The State of Our Ummah: SRH Edition

Doctor, Speaker, Community Health Advocate we can’t wait to hear about her work

Want to join us? Check out the link in our bio for tickets

Ladies,

An anonymous donor has paid for a ticket for a young Muslim woman (18 - 27, unmarried) to attend Event 2 of SRHFest, the women-only workshop:

Navigating Pre-marital S*xual and Reproductive Health Conversations

If you’ve been eyeing this event, now’s your chance to win a free ticket

How?

-Follow us on this account

- Tell us, in the comments below, why you want to attend this event

-Tag as many of your people as you can, asking them to like this post, and your answer

The answer with the most engagement after 3 days (7pm on 12th February) will be the winner

((May Allaah reward our donor and grant her khayr. Do get in touch if you want to sponsor tickets for the festival))

T&Cs-Tickets cannot be transferred or traded for cash
-participation is declaration of eligibility (unmarried Muslim women, aged 18 - 27years)
-SRHEd reserves the right to cancel/ postpone the giveaway if there’s insufficient engagement

Bismillaah, ladies!

POV: you experience our founder doing her stuff for the first time

2 feedback from the recent Rise by event

S*xual and Teproductive Health that deals with the nuance of cultural practices and religious beliefs is where you’ll find us

Check the link in our bio for our next event


*xualhealth