Title: Female Sexual Potency as Social Narrative and Demographic Reality: Deconstructing Endurance Myths in the Context of Alcohol, Mortality, and Unmet Needs in Narok West
Authors: Musiimenta Nancy, Ahumuza Audrey
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 115-122
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
Social narratives portraying women, particularly in pastoral communities of sub-Saharan Africa, as biologically superior in endurance and physiologically resilient to illness have long shaped healthcare-seeking behaviour, reproductive health outcomes, and responses to alcohol-related morbidity. This cross-sectional analytical study examined the intersection of female sexual potency myths, alcohol consumption patterns, unmet contraceptive needs, and mortality-related health outcomes among 450 women of reproductive age in Narok West Sub-County, Kenya. Using structured questionnaires administered through systematic random sampling, data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, beliefs in endurance myths, alcohol use frequency, reproductive history, and access to sexual and reproductive health services. Univariate analysis described the distribution of key variables; bivariate analysis using chi-square tests and Pearson correlation examined associations between alcohol use and unmet need; and a principal component analysis (PCA) combined with exploratory factor analysis identified latent constructs driving vulnerability. Results revealed that 45.8% of respondents had an unmet need for contraception, with prevalence escalating sharply among heavy alcohol users (63.2%). Factor analysis identified three dominant constructs - social endurance myths (eigenvalue = 3.21, 21.4% variance), health-seeking behaviour deficits (eigenvalue = 2.87, 19.1% variance), and an alcohol-mortality nexus (eigenvalue = 2.64, 17.6% variance) - collectively explaining 58.1% of total variance. Gynaecological morbidity indices and maternal mortality risk scores increased monotonically with alcohol use frequency. The study concluded that endurance myths are not merely cultural curiosities but active barriers to reproductive health equity, interacting with alcohol use to compound mortality risks and sustain unmet contraceptive needs. Targeted community-based interventions that simultaneously address mythological narratives, alcohol access, and service utilisation are urgently recommended for Narok West.