COVID-19 vaccines, sexual reproductive health and rights: Negotiating sensitive terrain in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The COVID-19 period caused a lot of suffering globally, as millions lost their lives while others went through the pain of being infected.  The introduction of vaccines to minimise chances of infection and death was a welcome development. However, it was also fraught with  its own challenges in the area of sexual health and rights of both women and men. Scholarship on gender and religion noted the way  women failed to access contraception in a period in which sexual activity had increased as most couples were together for long periods of  time. The introduction of vaccines was accompanied by a lot of misinformation. Lack of clarity on the effect of the vaccines on  pregnant and lactating mothers caused a lot of anxiety. This was exacerbated by the information that was being circulated on social  media platforms that the vaccines would interfere with individuals’ reproductive capacity. Yet African religio-cultural beliefs and practices  place so much importance on both women and men’s ability to have children. In fact, one’s respectability in African indigenous societies  is greatly linked to their ability to have children. This article seeks to examine the fears of some Zimbabweans to accept COVID-19  vaccines, establishing how these fears were tied to issues of sexual reproductive health and rights. The article focuses on showing how  the terrain of sexual health and rights is a sensitive one which called for caution in a COVID-19 context in Zimbabwe. Data for the article  were gathered through informal interviews and social media platforms. 

Contribution: The article makes a significant contribution to the  way COVID-19 interfaced with issues to do with SRHR in Zimbabwe.