Why pregnant women sleep with male midwives

A three-month investigation by The Nairobian has established that men-midwives are hoodwinking expectant women in city estates to have sex with them shortly before delivery. They do this under the pretense of “opening the birth canal to avoid the necessity of a caesarian section.”

A District Public Health Officer (DPHO) says the exploitation of woman under these false pretenses could be widespread.

Some women have even confessed to having slept with the men-midwives in their neighbourhoods to avoid going under the knife during delivery.

Margaret Ndwiga, the Makadara DPHO told The Nairobian that cases of untrained men-midwives tricking women into sex are not new.

“Not long ago at a seminar in Pumwani Maternity Hospital, some women confessed to having fallen prey to the philandering tricksters. It is even a practice in some communities. However, this exposes the expectant mother to numerous risks,” Ndwiga warned.

Ndwiga explains that it is criminal to trick women into sex in this manner. She discloses that, “Some of the women have identified a man in Huruma, who is said to have slept with scores of expectant women pretending to open their birth canals” said Ndwiga.

She warns that this exposes the women to infections like HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases.

 “These men are taking advantage of ignorant women and should be prosecuted,” Ndwiga said.

Judy*, supermarket attendant in Umoja, admitted that a friend of hers had sex with a man in Embakasi area who is reputed to ‘open’ expectant women’s birth canals.

 “A month after her successful and normal delivery, she told me how a man who operates a clinic in Donholm helped her open her birth canal  by having a quickie in a secluded room in the clinic. She told me that she referred some of her friends to the man during a chama meeting,” revealed Judy.

Norah Kibe, a chemist who once worked in Buruburu and is now based in Dagoretti, disclosed that some women who visit her for antenatal services sometimes inform her that they have been directed by friends to seek services of men-midwives.

Our investigations in Huruma and some parts of Eastlands where the practice is said to be rampant, revealed that most women in these areas have heard of men-midwives and claims that they open birth canals.

A senior gynecologist at Kenyatta National Hospital who declined to be quoted, said that a few cases have been reported. He is of the opinion that police should use expectant women to trap the sex pests.

“It is criminal that those crooks are taking advantage of women. Having sex before delivery will not be a solution in case of a difficult or complicated birth,” he said.

The gynaecologist added that, “If it’s true that sex opens the birth canal, why can’t these women just sleep with their husbands then? What is so special about sex with men-midwives?” he posed.