RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Throughout history women have tried to control or enhance their fertility using herbal remedies, with various levels of societal support. Caribbean folk medicine has been influenced by European folk medicine, either through the early Spanish and French settlers or through the continuous immigration of Spanish-speaking peoples from Venezuela.Some folk uses are ancient and were documented by Galen and Pliny the Elder. METHODS: Thirty respondents, ten of whom were male were interviewed from September 1996 to September 2000.The respondents were obtained by snowball sampling, and were found in thirteen different sites, 12 in Trinidad (Paramin,Talparo, Sangre Grande, Mayaro, Carapichaima, Kernahan, Newlands, Todd's Road, Arima, Guayaguayare, Santa Cruz,Port of Spain and Siparia) and one in Tobago (Mason Hall). Snowball sampling was used because there was no other means of identifying respondents and to cover the entire islands. The validation of the remedies was conducted with a non-experimental method. RESULTS: Plants are used for specific problems of both genders. Clusea rosea, Urena sinuata and Catharanthus roseus areused for unspecified male problems. Richeria grandis and Parinari campestris are used for erectile dysfunction. Ageratum conyzoides, Scoparia dulcis, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima, Gomphrena globosa and Justicia pectoralis are usedfor prostate problems. The following plants are used for childbirth and infertility: Mimosa pudica, Ruta graveolens, Abelmoschus moschatus, Chamaesyce hirta, Cola nitida, Ambrosia cumanenesis, Pilea microphylla, Eryngium foetidum, Aristolochiarugosa, Aristolochia trilobata, Coleus aromaticus, Laportea aestuans and Vetiveria zizanioides.
The following plants are used for menstrual pain and unspecified female complaints: Achyranthes indica, Artemisia absinthium, Brownea latifolia, Eleutherine bulbosa, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Eupatorium macrophyllum,Justicia secunda, Parthenium hysterophorus, Wedelia trilobata, Abelmoschus moschatus, Capraria biflora, Cordia curassavica,Croton gossypifolius, Entada polystachya, Leonotis nepetaefolia, Eryngium foetidum, Aristolochia rugosa, Aristolochia trilobata and Ambrosia cumanenesis. CONCLUSION: Native Caribbean plants have been less studied that those from Africa, India and Europe. Chamaesyce hirtahas scientific support but as a diuretic. Other plants with level 3 validity for reproductive issues are: Achyranthes indica,Coleus aromaticus, Hibiscus rosa-sinesis, Parthenium hysterophorus and Ruta graveolens. The non-experimental validation method can be used to advise the public on which plants are safe, effective and useful, and which are not; pending clinicaltrials. This is especially important since so few clinical trials are conducted on Caribbean plants.
Assuntos
Humanos , Interações Ervas-Drogas , Medicina Reprodutiva , Trinidad e Tobago , Terapias Complementares/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Seeks to, provide an up-to-date picture of the status of reproductive health in the Caribbean; identify factors having the most critical impact upon reproductive health; and establish the priority areas for research and intervention in the region. Examines the concept of reproductive health to define the topic, the analytical framework and the methodology. Describes gender issues affecting reproductive health in the Caribbean, and presents the reproductive health status in the Caribbean, examining prevalent health problems and policy developments. Finally, identifies priority areas for research and intervention. (AU)
Assuntos
Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Medicina Reprodutiva/tendências , Índias Ocidentais , Bem-Estar MaternoRESUMO
A retrospective study was conducted on two farms in Trinidad to determine the impact of retained foetal membranes (RFM) on reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle. The measures of reproductive efficiency examined were days open, services per conception, calving interval, and first-service conception rate.(AU)