Use of Herbal Medicines and Aphrodisiac Substances among Women in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Over three-quarter of the world’s population is using herbal medicines with an increasing trend globally. Herbal medicines may be beneficial but are not completely harmless. An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. These substances can either be herbal or orthodox. Many foods, drinks, and behaviours have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable. Men and women alike have continued to use aphrodisiacs whether or not these drugs have any scientific basis of truly improving sexual satisfaction without regards to their composition. Aim: To assess the use of herbal medicine and aphrodisiac substances among women in Kano state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted in Kano state, Nigeria. The study involved 400 participants recruited by cluster and random sampling techniques. Self-structured pretested questionnaire was used for the study and statistical descriptive method of data analysis was used. Result: - A total of 400 subjects were used for the study of which 94.5% (378) responded. The study revealed that 42.0% (158) used herbal medicine and aphrodisiac. 52.5% of the users were within 21-30 age group who are of low parity (0-4) 55.7%. Herbalist/Traditional houses are the major source of these medications (50.6%). 27.2% of the users experienced more vaginal wetness after using the medications. 36.7% (58) disagree with the safety of these substances. Out of the 378 respondent, most of them 56.6% (214) use herbal medicine during pregnancy. Majority 39.4% (91) use herbal medicine for treatment of diarrhoea, follow by diabetics 31.6% (73), peptic ulcer treatment constitute 18.2% (42) while Fever 7.4% (17) and others 10.7% (23). Conclusion: - This study revealed high use of herbal medicines, it is important that health professionals enquire from the patients about past or current use of herbal medicines. This may help in educating the patients about the health risks of using herbal medicine and may reduce delays in seeking appropriate care. It would be helpful to study the pharmacological composition of the stimulants used by the respondents. Knowing the composition will help in determining the possible effect of such drugs not only on sexuality but also on other organs such as liver and kidney in the short and long run.