Listen to Black Women: The Power of Black Women’s Collective Sexual Wisdom About Strategies to Promote Sexual Pleasure and Reduce Sexual Pain

Introduction: Black women’s collective wisdom has informed Black women’s sexual development for decades. Yet, empirical collective wisdom regarding what is needed to reduce their experiences of sexual pain and enhance sexual pleasure has been omitted. This study fills this gap by centering the voices of Black women living in the Southern region of the USA who have experienced sexual difficulties. Methods: We used thematic analysis to find themes across n = 21 in-depth interviews with Black women living in the Southern USA who consented to participate in a mixed methods study focused on Black women’s experiences of sexual pain and pleasure. We interviewed participants between January and March 2021. Results: There were five main themes: 1) Talk that talk, 2) On my mama and big mama, 3) Take me to church, 4) Put yourself first, and 5) What about the men? Conclusions: Findings of this study reveal a common desire among Black women who have experienced sexual pain to have safe spaces to talk about sexual health through multigenerational sister circles and in churches. Heterosexual participants also stressed the importance of sexuality education opportunities for Black men. Policy Implications: It is important to understand the systems of oppression that present obstacles to Black women’s sexual development and sexual health knowledge acquisition. Equitable funding for Black women’s sexual health programs, and using multiplatform approaches to reach multiple generations and center the voices of Black women, are crucial to advancement.