Reclaiming Abstinence: Moving Beyond Shame & Fear to an Empowered Choice

by heartwg@gmail.com | May 4, 2016 | Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

by Sameera Qureshi “Well, how do you know if you and your future spouse are sexually compatible if you don’t have sex before marriage? What if he’s a dud in bed?” I did a double take at the text message, let out a sigh of exasperation, and...

The Impact of Cultural Stigmas on the Health of a Community

by heartwg@gmail.com | Nov 16, 2015 | Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

by Nadiah Mohajir Cultural stigmas have existed for thousands of years, yet never have I ever been more haunted by the unfortunate effect they have on mental and physical health outcomes. Earlier this week, a young Pakistani teen girl went into labor, delivered a baby...

Moving Beyond Shame: Working to Nurture a Healthy Sexuality

by heartwg@gmail.com | Oct 27, 2015 | Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

originally published on http://www.patheos.com/blogs/heartfelt/ by Nadiah Mohajir When thinking about Islamic values around sex and sexuality, two that are often emphasized are modesty and privacy. We are encouraged in Islam to embody modesty – both with...

What does the Research Say? That Muslim Youth Need Sex Education

by heartwg@gmail.com | May 18, 2015 | Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

Exploring sexual experiences, shame, and access to sexual health information among Muslim Youth in Canada: A Research Study We welcome guest writer and researcher Sobia Ali Faisal, who recently earned her doctoral degree from the University of Windsor. Her research is...

How do we Develop Healthy Sexuality in our Youth?

by heartwg@gmail.com | Mar 25, 2014 | Media Literacy, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

by Nadiah Mohajir As we’ve collected stories for the past four years, we have met countless women who struggled with some aspect of their sexuality. We met Farah*, a young woman who had been married a couple of years, struggling to consummate her marriage due to...

Have we Confused Sexuality with Sexualization?

by heartwg@gmail.com | Mar 12, 2014 | Media Literacy, Mental Well-Being, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Youth

by Nadiah Mohajir Is there a difference between sexuality and sexualization? How can we determine if our young girls want to dress sexually because they feel empowered, or because they feel pressured to fit in?  The age at which girls are expected to dress...