Perceptions of reproductive health among indigenous communities in Africa: A systematic review of cultural beliefs, practices, and health outcomes.

Diverse conceptualisation of reproductive health is a major public health problem in Africa, especially among indigenous communities were cultural beliefs shape health behaviours and outcomes. This review, following the PRISMA framework, looked at how indigenous African people understand reproductive health by examining studies published from 2015 to 2025. A thorough search was done in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and African Journals Online, resulting in 30 studies being identified for this study. An analysis of these showed that ideas about fertility, pregnancy, and contraception are strongly linked to traditions. Infertility, for instance, was often thought to be caused by ancestors' anger or witchcraft, while menstruation and pregnancy were controlled by taboos and rituals. Traditional birth attendants are essential in looking after mothers, especially where formal health services are difficult to reach. Even though these customs build and exploit cultural trust, they sometimes cause delays in communities seeking formal medical help, leading to adverse outcomes. The conclusion from this research is that combining traditional knowledge with modern health services will help improve reproductive health in Africa.