Opening the Discussion on Paternity-Linked Trauma and the Lasting Effects

Ebony Harvey, RN 

Guest Contributor 

​The talk show Maury is one of the most watched television programs out there. Mainly because of the paternity cases he has on the show. Thousands of men and women arguing over the paternity of a child, the adultery, the lies, the betrayal, the manipulation, and selfishness. But what about the child? Where does that leave them? Most fatherless, some confused, others just going through life wondering “who's my daddy?”

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​Sexual health is so much more than teaching people to use condoms. Sexual health transcends past the small stuff and the things you can see. Sexual health is important for focusing on the issues we don’t see, the issues we don’t talk about…like paternity. Identifying the right father for a child.
 
Open, honest, transparent communication with young adults surrounding sex is a start to hopefully decrease the amount of children who don’t know their paternity. Women should have access to support and services prior to becoming sexually active discussing the many avenues that sex can lead to. Sex is beautiful, but it can also be ugly. Ugly meaning the outcomes can sometimes be unwanted situations that cannot be changed.
 
Many women have suffered from rape, molestation, incest, and been taken advantage of sexually and left to deal with the outcome of these traumatic experiences alone. Many suffer from having an unwanted pregnancy, depression, isolation, guilt, shame, and lack of support. Not to mention the lack of consequences for the perpetrator.
 
Again, where does that leave the child whose mother has suffered from a traumatic sexual experience? This is an area of sexual health that is overlooked and brushed under the rug. It is uncomfortable and no one wants to talk about it. If you do not talk about it, how can you raise awareness? How will things change?
 
Sexual health is important for addressing the injustices experienced by women all over the world from sexual harassment at work to sex trafficking. Sex is literally everywhere… Why is there such a scarcity of support and resources around sexual health in these areas? We need change. Women deserve support. Women deserve to heal. 

Ebony Harvey, RN

Ebony or Nurse Eb as she prefers is a holistic fertility and birth doula, fertility coach, lactation education specialist, and registered nurse by profession. She is the founder of In Harmony and Health, a pregnancy care company with a holistic approach to conception and birth that focuses on healthy pregnancies for healthy families. Nurse Eb focuses on sexual health as the catalyst for optimal conception and birth outcomes. She has a passion for educating families of color and those disproportionately affected by racial disparities in healthcare. With over 17 years of nursing-related experience, she uses her background expertise to help individuals live in optimal health and navigate the pitfalls of the healthcare system. With a passion for prevention and treating the “whole” person, Nurse Eb has a passion for holistic health and wellness. It is her belief that the body should be in harmony to reach and maintain optimal health. IG: @ThePurposeNurse