Gynaecological, Andrological and Urological Problems: An Ethnopharmacological Perspective

August 2015 DOI: 10.1002/9781118930717.ch18 In book: EthnopharmacologyChapter: 18Publisher: Wiley & Sons, ChichesterEditors: Michael Heinrich, Anna Jaeger Tinde van AndelTinde van AndelAlexandra M TownsAlexandra M TownsHugo J de BoerHugo J de Boer Abstract Large numbers of medicinal plants are used for reproductive health, especially by people whose health largely depends on traditional medicine. In this chapter we will focus on medicinal plants used for salient issues in the context of gynaecology, andrology and urology in Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Sahara Africa and South and South-East Asia. We highlight plant use for menstrual disorders, postpartum use, vaginal applications, infertility, aphrodisiacs, urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, general urinary and bladder infections, and urinary schistosomiasis. Plant use in this context is not limited to reproductive health issues that biomedicine practitioners would treat with antibiotics. Cultural-bound health concepts on fertility motivate people to cleanse their body from impurities with medicinal plants that act as laxatives, diuretics and uterus contractors. The challenge for ethnopharmacologists is not only to discover new phytochemical properties of tropical plants, but also to study the potential risks and benefits of herbal medicine use by people with limited access to biomedical health care.