Black women experience higher rates of reproductive health conditions such as fibroids, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis. Fibroids affect 25-40 percent of reproductive-aged women in the United States and are diagnosed roughly three times more often in Black women than in white women. Blacks also have a heightened risk of pregnancy-related mortality; in 2020, Black women died from pregnancy or childbirth complications at a rate of 63.4 per 100,000 live births compared to 18.1 per 100,000 among white women. These conditions are often overlooked or dismissed in medical settings, delaying diagnosis, treatment and deepening both physical and emotional burdens.
Historically, conversations about sexual health and pleasure for Black women have been shrouded in shame or avoided altogether. Many women lack the language, community, or resources to talk about womb health, pleasure, or boundaries. Mainstream wellness spaces tend to treat sexual wellness as separate from overall health. That disconnection perpetuates stigma, isolation, and health disparities.
The Pleasure Table, hosted by The View From Here Wellness Collective in partnership with Planned Parenthood, was created to shift that narrative. The View from Here Wellness Collective is a platform founded to empower Black women through intentional conversations, resources, and tools for personal development. It is more than just a name. It is a lens. It is about pausing to recognize your current view, honoring the journey that shaped it, and deciding what comes next with clarity, community, and care.
At The Pleasure Table, women gathered to explore womb wellness, sexual health, and holistic care in a space of safety and affirmation. Featuring speakers including Marlisha Wilbourn, a Womb Wellness Practitioner, and Lady Cedes, a Pleasure Advocate, and Planned Parenthood. Together, they guided dialogue about sex and women’s health without shame. Boundaries were discussed. The aim was to reframe pleasure as a vital aspect of self-care and empowerment, not as something taboo or separate from health.
What makes this gathering meaningful is that it goes beyond information sharing. It serves as community healing. By sharing experiences, breaking the silence, and normalizing conversations that have usually been hidden, The Pleasure Table helps participants build self-advocacy skills both in personal and medical settings. An environment rooted in openness permits women to recognize and name symptoms, to ask questions, and to demand better care.
Long term, The Pleasure Table’s goal is to expand so that more Black women can access supportive, stigma-free spaces for healing, learning, and empowerment. When womb health, pleasure, mental and physical wellness are brought together, the result is stronger awareness, better outcomes, and a more resilient community.
