Stronger Bonds, Happier Lives The Role of Sexual Health

Dr Nisha Fernando has long been an advocate for open conversations on sexual health, reminding us that it is an essential part of overall wellbeing and family harmony. Through her work with adolescents, couples, and older adults, she has encountered many stories that highlight the importance of knowledge, communication, and understanding in relationships.

Words -  Dr Nisha Fernando / Sachini Perera

On this Sexual Health Day, she shares real experiences from her practice to show why sexual health should never be treated as a taboo, but rather as a foundation for trust, intimacy, and happiness across all stages of life. When I step into classrooms or consultation rooms, I am constantly reminded how much silence still surrounds sexual health. As a doctor, I have spent years meeting people from different walks of life - young adolescents, newly married couples, and even elderly patients and educated professionals - and I realise that sexual health remains one of the least spoken, yet most important, aspects of our wellbeing.
When I meet students in Grades 10 and 11, I often run sessions under the theme ‘Sundara Yowun Via’ - a beautiful path for adolescents. During the anonymous question-and-answer rounds, I see just how little basic knowledge there is. Teenagers ask me, “What is menstruation?” or “How is a baby made?” Some come to hospital with stomach aches, and we later discover they are six months pregnant, having had no understanding of sexual activity. I have seen 15- and 16-year-old girls, living with a grandmother, facing pregnancies that alter the entire course of their lives. It is heartbreaking, because with age-appropriate guidance from parents and trusted adults, so much of this could be prevented. Parents must be willing to talk about sexual health in a responsible, age-appropriate way, instead of leaving children to learn through painful experiences.

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