“Oga, this your new wife is a witch. Since she entered this house, all your children are dying in her womb!”
That was what Mama Nkechi whispered to her neighbour after his young wife suffered her second miscarriage.
The entire compound had already concluded the woman was “eating” her babies. But what nobody realised was that the poor woman was Rhesus negative, married to a Rhesus positive man, and their unborn babies were facing rejection in her womb. Not from some village spell but from her own immune system.
This is the reality for many African families where medical issues are spiritualised due to a lack of knowledge.
We always talk about genotype and how AS/AC and AS/AC shouldn’t get married so they don’t have children with sickle cell and that’s great. But, there’s more.
Today, let’s break it down: blood group, and Rhesus factor, what they mean, why they matter, and how to avoid heartbreak through simple compatibility checks.
🧬 Blood Group: The ABC of Your Blood
Your blood group is determined by two major systems:
ABO system: Classifies blood into A, B, AB, or O.
Rhesus factor (Rh): Determines whether you’re positive (+) or negative (-).
So your blood type could be A+, O-, AB+, etc.
🩸 Rhesus Factor (Rh): The Silent Dealbreaker
Now, let’s get back to Mama Nkechi’s neighbor’s wife.
The Rhesus factor is a protein found on red blood cells. If you have it, you’re Rh-positive; if not, you’re Rh-negative.
Rh-positive: ✅ Protein present
Rh-negative: ❌ Protein absent
Why It Matters:
If an Rh-negative woman gets pregnant by an Rh-positive man, the baby may be Rh-positive. During delivery or miscarriage, some of the baby’s blood can enter the mother’s bloodstream, and her body may see it as a threat, creating antibodies that attack future pregnancies.
This is called Rhesus isoimmunization and can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, or severe newborn illness.
It’s not the village people. It’s biology.
The Solution?
Know your Rh status.
If Rh-negative, doctors give an injection called RhoGAM during pregnancy to prevent antibody formation.
🔍 Why we must stop blaming witches
Too many families waste time and money on spiritual warfare, while ignoring medical facts.
A couple keeps losing babies and thinks they’re under attack, but it’s Rh incompatibility.
A woman is declared barren, but no one checked if she was reacting to a positive baby as an Rh-negative woman.
🧠 Knowledge is protection. The more we understand our bodies, the less we blame innocent people for what science can explain and fix.
Africans are not cursed, we’re just underinformed.
Before marriage or pregnancy:
✅ Do a blood group and Rhesus factor test.
✅ Do a genotype test.
✅ Speak with a health professional.
Tell your friends. Share with your community. Let’s break the cycle of ignorance and needless suffering.
