Let's Talk About Sex

Through her groundbreaking platform Unprude, sex and relationships therapist Dr Rica Cruz is promoting healthy conversations about sex in a conservative society

- Celine Dabao

Advocating for sexual wellness is no small feat, especially in a deeply conservative country like the Philippines. For Front & Female Awards Philippines 2024 winner Dr Rica Cruz, who is the first Filipino board-certified diplomate in Clinical Sexology and the first Filipino consulting editor for the Journal of Sex Research, there have been countless challenges along the way, from navigating the impact of sexual abuse to her programmes being censored nationwide. But with her signature grace and grit, Cruz has forged a silver lining out of every struggle she's overcome.

For her, dismantling the shame starts with openness around her journey. “I learnt about sex by being molested as a child,” she says with unflinching honesty. “When my family found out, I was called derogatory terms and told I'd amount to nothing.” This instilled a deep-seated shame in Cruz that felt impossible to shake off.

That was not the last of Cruz's struggles with sex and relationships. At 18, she underwent surgery after a sexually transmitted infection. At 20, she found herself bleeding out in a motel room, struggling with an unwanted pregnancy.