Dec 28, 2025 | blog, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health
Pregnancy is a wild ride for your body curves shifting, hormones surging, and sometimes your libido taking an unexpected detour. The good news is that for most uncomplicated pregnancies, intimacy is safe and can even be enjoyable. Of course, if your doctor has flagged risks such as a low-lying placenta, leaking amniotic fluid, or a cervix that is opening too early, follow their advice. For everyone else, comfort, communication, and a little creativity are your best friends.
First Trimester: The “Biscuit-in-the-Oven Shuffle”
The first 12 weeks can be exhausting. Morning sickness, fatigue, and emotional swings may make sex feel physically and emotionally challenging. The “Biscuit-in-the-Oven Shuffle” is a side-lying position with your partner behind you, keeping you close without putting pressure on your belly. This simple side-by-side approach allows intimacy without awkward movements. Early pregnancy sex is safe, so there is no reason to skip connection.
Second Trimester: The “Honeymoon Trimester”
Weeks 13 to 27 are often called the honeymoon trimester. Nausea eases, energy returns, and your bump becomes easier to manage.
- Belly Bounce-Adapt: Spooning keeps intimacy cozy and belly-friendly.
- You’re in the Driver’s Seat: Being on top allows you to control depth, angle, and pace, providing comfort as your abdomen grows.
Hormonal changes may reduce natural lubrication, so a water-based lubricant can make intimacy more comfortable. This is completely normal and safe.
Third Trimester: Creative Belly-Friendly Positions
Weeks 28 to birth bring a larger belly and reduced mobility, but intimacy can continue safely:
- Belly Barrier-Bypass: Gentle spooning keeps your belly safe while staying close.
- Edge-of-the-Bed Handshake: Your partner sits on the edge of the bed while you face them safely.
Avoid lying flat on your back for long periods, as the uterus can press on major blood vessels and cause dizziness.
Safety and Connection
Even in a smooth pregnancy, pay attention to how your body feels. Stop and contact your doctor if you experience pain, heavy bleeding, or fluid leakage. Keep open communication with your partner about what feels good and what does not, and don’t be afraid to laugh if things feel awkward. Intimacy is about connection, not perfection.
Pregnancy changes your body and your libido, but with flexibility, creativity, and honesty, you can maintain closeness, enjoy intimacy, and even discover new favorite ways to connect, all while keeping a sense of humor.
Writer : Bezawit Elias
Nov 23, 2025 | blog, Sexual Health
Dear younger me,
You’re growing up in a world that is overflowing with information, so much that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t. A world that talks about sex without ever really talking about it. Everyone seems to know, yet no one explains. So let’s start here, with honesty.
Sex is not shameful. It is not performance or conquest. It is an expression of connection, affection, and vulnerability. I know that when you first learned about it, it wasn’t through a conversation with someone who cared. You heard things from friends, saw things online, and slowly began forming ideas. The truth is, most of what you’ll see and most of what you’ll hear are far removed from reality.
Real life doesn’t have scripted scenes, there is no director cutting to the perfect climax. Relationships are dynamic. They are made up of communication, comfort, awkwardness, trust, and care, all the things that make sex great. You’ll realize one day that sexuality isn’t about performance or a conquest. It’s something you grow into for yourself. It’s not about proving you’re experienced or confident or have a high body count; it’s about learning what makes you feel safe, seen, and respected.
You’re human, curiosity doesn’t make you bad, but on the contrary, it’s what makes you a real being. But curiosity without guidance and principle can lead you into illusions. That’s what pornography is; that’s what casual sex can be. A beautifully packaged illusion. It’s not evil but empty, the kind of emptiness no one warns you about. It promises connection but leaves you hollow. It mimics intimacy but skips the parts that make intimacy matter. It’s like a fireplace screen saver; it looks real, yet when you reach out to feel the warmth of the logs, it isn’t there.
Here is the thing, though: you can always come back to the truth. To reality that invites presence. To the kind of relationships where you don’t have to pretend. Where both you and your partner are seen and valued, the kind where you don’t use someone, and you don’t feel used or compared.
You can learn that real sexual health begins long before any of the physical acts. It starts with self-respect. With understanding your body, your emotions, and your boundaries. It’s about realizing your worth doesn’t depend on experience or feeling instant gratification.It’s about self-governance, and when you meet someone who treats you with gentleness and care, you’ll understand how different a real connection feels. It’s calm, not chaotic; it’s steady, not just thrilling, and it’s built on trust, not tension and momentary passion.
One day you’ll come to see this. You’ll see that sexual health isn’t just about protecting yourself from disease; it’s about how you see yourself and others. That’s what self-love truly is.
With care and clarity,
Your Older Self
Writer: Kidus Solomon
Nov 16, 2025 | blog, Sexual Health
In today’s rapidly evolving world, knowledge is power. For young people, understanding sexual health is not merely empowering, it is protective. Yet in Ethiopia, as in many other countries, sexual health education remains a sensitive and often avoided topic within schools. This silence carries significant consequences. Without structured education and open discussion, young people are left vulnerable to misinformation, early pregnancy, and preventable diseases.
Sexual health education encompasses far more than the biological aspects of reproduction. It equips young people with accurate information, instills healthy values, and develops essential life skills that enable them to make informed, responsible decisions. Evidence demonstrates that comprehensive sexual education helps reduce risky behaviors, delays early sexual activity, and promotes mutual respect and consent. In a nation where over 70% of the population is under the age of 30, this education is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Ethiopia continues to face challenges such as teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, and rising HIV infections among youth. Providing students with reliable knowledge is therefore critical to addressing these issues effectively.
Cultural norms in Ethiopia often render discussions about sex taboo. Many parents and educators may feel uncomfortable addressing these topics, fearing that open dialogue might encourage sexual activity. However, extensive research contradicts this concern, showing that comprehensive sexual education does not accelerate sexual initiation. Instead, it fosters awareness, confidence, and respect for one’s own body and the boundaries of others.
Schools play a pivotal role in this process. Beyond academic instruction, they serve as environments where young people shape their identities and worldviews. By integrating sexual and reproductive health education into school curricula, educators can bridge the gap between cultural expectations and the realities that young people face. Key areas of focus should include puberty and bodily changes, consent and personal boundaries, prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), menstrual health and hygiene, gender equality, and mental and emotional well-being.
At Letena Ethiopia, we recognize that education is the cornerstone of empowerment. By promoting honest, inclusive conversations about sexual health and supporting schools, parents, and communities, we can break cycles of misinformation and fear. In doing so, we cultivate a generation that is not only informed but also compassionate, responsible, and equipped to navigate the challenges of adulthood with confidence.
Writer: Hermon Israel
Nov 9, 2025 | blog, Mental Health, Sexual Health
In recent years, our understanding of the connection between mental health and sexual health has deepened, revealing just how intertwined the brain, body, and desire truly are. In both men and women, changes in mood, anxiety levels, and stress hormones can profoundly affect sexual desire, performance, and satisfaction. Far from being two separate aspects of health, mental well-being and sexual functioning now appear to influence each other significantly.
One of the strongest findings emerging from current studies is the role of chronic stress. When the body is in persistent “fight or flight” mode, the brain is easily distracted by surrounding stimuli, making the person unable to be present during sex, making them enjoy it much less especially in women. Cortisol, the stress hormone, although with less intensity, contributes moderately to the suppression of arousal and consequent reduction of libido, and less overall interest in sex. Having a positive mental state and subjective assessment of one’s health is associated with better sexual performance.
Depression, too, is proving to be more than a mental state of low motivation and mood. It has been proven to affect sexual function either in sexual desire, satisfaction or performance. In 2022, an analysis of 12 studies showed that over 60% of men and 80% of women with major depressive disorder report sexual impairment. Scientists point to lower dopamine and serotonin levels, two neurotransmitters essential to both pleasure and emotional regulation, as the most likely cause for this. Other common symptoms that occur with depression have also been shown to affect sexual function, including lack of exercise and substance use, such as smoking. This situation is further worsened by the fact that many of the common medications for the treatment of depression have been shown to negatively affect libido and sexual pleasure.
The interrelation of depression and sexual dysfunction is evident in that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a common treatment for some mental disorders, also is effective in treating some types of sexual dysfunction. This indicates some common mechanism, if not origin, for the disorders. New findings offer hope, showing that treating mental health, even through small exercises of mindfulness, restores sexual function naturally. In fact, mindfulness not only restores sexual function but also improves the experience.
Evidence also suggests that positive sexual health indicators are associated with lower depression and anxiety, higher quality of life, and greater life satisfaction among men and women.
This is more than enough evidence to suggest that the mental and sexual health of an individual are interconnected and depend on each other. They are both central pillars of overall health and well-being. The growing self-care movement should not treat them as separate concerns in the care of a person. A mentally well person is more likely to have a more fulfilling sex life. A person with a fulfilling sex life is more likely to have good mental health. And a person with both is more likely to have a better overall well-being.
Writer : Dr. Hosaena Gebru
Sep 7, 2025 | blog, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health
Dear Letena,
I don’t really know how to begin this letter, but I feel like I can’t keep everything inside anymore. I’m twelve now, and my body is changing so quickly. Instead of feeling excited about it, I mostly feel out of place. When I look at my friends, they still seem like kids, but I don’t. It feels as if I’ve stepped into a world I wasn’t ready for, while everyone else stayed behind.
Lately, my chest has been growing, and sometimes it aches in a way I don’t understand. I catch myself crossing my arms over it, hoping the discomfort will ease and that no one will notice. But the boys at school already have, and the teasing feels endless. They point, laugh, and make comments that sting more than I can admit. Every time it happens, I wish I could shrink back into myself and disappear.
I’m too embarrassed to bring any of this up to my mom. Just the thought of saying the words out loud makes my face burn. I even tried searching for answers online, but all I found were long explanations filled with big words and scary possibilities. Nothing seemed to speak to what I’m actually going through. So I’ve stayed quiet, carrying all of this by myself.
Sometimes I wonder why it had to happen to me first, why growing up feels less like moving forward and more like being pushed into a spotlight I never asked for. It’s lonely, confusing, and often I just wish I could pause everything until I feel ready.
I’m writing to you because keeping this inside has started to feel unbearable. I need to believe there is at least one place where my fears won’t sound foolish.
Writer: Bezawit Elias
Aug 3, 2025 | blog, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health
Let’s Be Real
Not every health concern is easy to talk about, especially when it involves your private parts. You might feel a weird pain in your lower belly, notice a new bump, or just get the sense that something down there isn’t quite right.
And before you even think about going to a clinic, your brain starts to spiral:
• “What if it’s something serious?”
• “What if they judge me?”
• “What if I go and it turns out to be nothing, and I look stupid?”
• “What if they tell me I have something I’ll never get rid of?”
So… you wait. You hope it’ll go away on its own.
Sometimes it does.
But too often, it doesn’t. And by the time you finally seek help, the issue has gotten worse. The cost, financially, emotionally, physically, is higher. And here’s the truth: this hesitation, this silence, it’s not because you don’t care. It’s because many of us were raised to feel ashamed. To think anything related to our genitals is dirty, secret, or “not to be talked about.”
But wanting clarity, comfort, or care? That’s not shameful. That’s human. You’re not overreacting. You’re not being dramatic. You’re doing exactly what you should do, listening to your body and wanting answers.
You Don’t Need to Say It Perfectly
You don’t need fancy words or medical terms. You don’t need to sound like a health textbook. You just need to say enough to start the conversation.
Try:
• “There’s a small lump near my groin.”
• “I feel a burning pain when I pee.”
• “Something just doesn’t feel right down there.”
Trust us, health professionals hear things like this every day. Their job isn’t to judge you. It’s to help you get the answers and care you need. If you’re nervous, that’s totally normal. But your discomfort won’t make them uncomfortable, they’re trained for this.
But What If They Don’t Take You Seriously?
Unfortunately, it happens. Sometimes a doctor dismisses your concerns. That is not your fault.
You’re allowed to ask again. You’re allowed to get a second opinion. You deserve to be heard, respected, and taken seriously, especially when it comes to your body.
When Should You See Someone?
If you’re dealing with any of the following, it’s time to reach out:
• A lump that hasn’t gone away after a week or two
• Persistent pain around your genitals
• Burning or discomfort while peeing
• Unusual discharge, odor or irritation
• Pain during or after sex
And honestly? If something just feels off, even if you’re not sure how to describe it, that’s enough of a reason. You don’t need permission to care about your health. And you don’t have to wait until it’s unbearable to get help.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Start simple. Call or visit your local health center. If you’re looking for a friendly ear and judgment-free support, message/call Letena. We’re here to help you figure things out, no shame, no lectures, just real answers.
You Deserve Peace of Mind
Whatever it is, knowing is better than guessing. Getting checked might feel scary in the moment, but living with uncertainty is scarier. Relief beats silence. Clarity beats fear. So go ahead. Ask the question. Start the conversation.
You don’t have to do it perfectly, you just have to do it.
Written by:- Bezawit Elias, Fifth Year Medical Student
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