The Role of Women’s Traditional Knowledge in Sexual and Reproductive Health Management in Haiti

Haitian women did not wait for the advent of modern contraceptive methods to manage their fertility. They developed strategies of resistance in the face of multifaceted patriarchal surveillance and medical neocolonialism. This study explores the regenerative and restorative practices underlying both the exclusive use of and the return to natural contraception. Methods: As part of a survey on fertility management in Haiti, I conducted remote interviews with six women and one man (the husband of one of the women surveyed) living in rural areas. Lasting between 60 and 90 minutes, the interviews were conducted in Haitian Creole using a semi-structured approach from June 18 to July 1, 2024. The responses to the various questions were recorded on the participants’ phones, with the exception of two interviews, which were recorded on my laptop (Windows Voice Recorder). Results: The study highlights that the exclusive use of and return to herbal contraceptives are primarily due to the negative effects of chemical contraceptive methods on marital relationships and the sexual and physical health of rural women. Conclusions: This study has the merit of showing that traditional healers and their clients do not confine themselves to a passive role in the face of patriarchal, marital, and religious scrutiny, among other forms of oversight. Contrary to biomedical and colonial prejudices, many of them are well informed about the existence of certain modern contraceptive methods and the negative consequences of these methods on their physical, psychological, and sexual health.