Using qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews with women in Accra, Ghana, this paper explores narratives of masculinity and femininity and sexual risk negotiation practices among women. While women framed 'proper' masculinity in terms of stereotypical reproductive norms, they also acknowledged the fluidity and multiplicity of masculinities. Femininity was more uniformly characterised in terms of physical attractiveness and beauty, responsibility and reproduction. These features, especially those related to adherence to morally and socially appropriate sexual norms (e.g., menstrual and bodily hygiene, unplanned pregnancy etc.), influenced women's approach to sexual negotiation. Work aiming to support women to negotiate sex safely needs to pay attention to their notions of gender and practices of sexual negotiation.

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Although sexual intercourse is an important aspect of women's sexuality, there is little knowledge on how women experience sexual pleasure in Ghana. In this paper we explore how women and men express sexual pleasure and highlight women's experience of sexual pleasure based on the narratives of 20 women and 16 men. Specifically, we focus on describing how women and men understand sexual pleasure, the factors that stimulate sexual pleasure, and show how women experience it. The interviewee's expressions of sexual pleasure were symbolic and had both direct and indirect manifestation. Ejaculation was reported to indicate a direct manifestation of sexual pleasure. Screams, facial and other expressions were reported to indicate indirect experiences of sexual pleasure, and were seen to be associated with female sexuality more than male sexuality. Women and men expressed sexual pleasure in a variety of ways (e.g., ejaculation, screaming, "good pain", treating a partner nicely after sex, asking rhetoric questions during sex, and prolonged sex intercourse) and there were no differences in the meanings both women and men ascribed to sexual pleasure, regardless of their demographic profiles. Women reported experiencing sexual pleasure as their male partners did based on meanings they attach to erotic sensuality as expressed in romance, foreplay, and physical attractiveness. If sex is sexually stimulating (e.g., due to a partner's agreeable personal hygiene), women would engage in it. Well-intentioned sexuality programmes emphasizing partners' touching each other for pleasure, as well as educating partners to maintain erotic sensuality is compelling for inducing sexual pleasure.

Indigenous peoples’ knowledge of and expertise in herbal remedies is not new. Although studies have emphasized use of herbal medicine in Africa, it remains unclear how gender impacts the uptake of herbal remedies as aphrodisiac-therapeutic types. Using qualitative data from urban Ghana, this article examines how cultural expectations of male sexuality in intimate heterosexual relationships influence the marketing and patronage of local aphrodisiacs, that is, herbal bitters in the West African context. Analysis reveals links with how men talk about notions of manhood and experiences of herbal bitters, including issues related to insecurities about hegemonic masculine ideals and women’s power. Although dominant masculinity has been associated with practices that allow men’s control over women, it also functions to harm men’s sexuality. Harm reduction requires behavioral modification and sexual and reproductive health and rights education program via media advocacy. A call to scale-up research, policy development, and implementation in regard to the production, advertisements, and patronage of local aphrodisiacs especially in countries in Africa where the phenomenon has risen to problematic levels is sine qua non to this approach.

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