ArticleJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine2024
Plant use and perceptions in the context of sexual health among people of Congolese descent in Belgium.
Article in Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Herbal product use in urban slum communities of Freetown, Sierra Leone: Consumption patterns, predictors, and ethnomedicinal applications.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2026Article
- Do partnered male aphrodisiac users engage in higher sexual risk behaviors related to sexually transmitted infections than single men? Evidence from a survey conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Navigating Power, Sexual Health, and Communication in Polygynous Marriages: A Qualitative Study Among Hausa Muslim Men in Northern Nigeria.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Medicinal plant use in a context of coloniality: Congolese perspectives on lost and preserved healing traditions in Belgium.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2025Article
- What are the most significant challenges that ethnobiology and ethnomedicine have faced so far, and how were they dealt with?Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2025Article
- Plants Utilization and Perceptions in the Context of Novel Indigenous Food Spicing and Flavoring Among the Vhavenḓa People in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Therapeutic Challenges of Diabetes Mellitus-Related Erectile Dysfunction and The Potential Therapeutic Role of Medicinal Plants: A Narrative Review.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025Review
- Therapeutic and antioxidant properties of Acridocarpus monodii Arène & Jaeger, an endemic plant of Dogon Country in Mali.Scientific reports · 2024Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe use of medicinal plants is integral to global healthcare systems, with Sub-Saharan Africa maintaining a robust tradition of herbal medicine alongside Western-oriented healthcare. As migrant communities tend to continue traditional herbal practices after migration, documenting this use is vital to develop culturally sensitive healthcare. This study investigates plant usage and perspectives in the context of sexual and reproductive health among the Congolese community in Belgium, particularly in the Matongé quarter of Brussels. Our research questions were: (1) What is the current knowledge of medicinal plants among the Congolese community in Belgium in the context of sexual health, and what are the applications and commonly employed administration methods of these plants? (2) What role does herbal medicine play in the context of sexual health for people of Congolese descent in Belgium and how this is influenced by perceptions of sexuality? and (3) Is there a gender bias in the use of medicinal plants, and if so, can this be related to perceived gender norms?
methodsWe conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with people of Congolese descent currently living in Belgium. Participants were selected using both snowball sampling and purposive sampling. Plant use in the context of sexual health was recorded through freelisting. Data on narratives, ideas, and perceptions of this plant use in the context of sexual health were collected. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.
resultsWe identified 17 plant species used for sexual health. Three overarching themes emerged from our data. Plants were used with a notable gender bias favoring male sexual potency enhancement. Men used these plants for both remedying potency issues and enhancing sexual prowess. In contrast, knowledge about plants for female sexual health was limited. Gender norms reinforced the importance of male sexual potency, while stigmatizing open discussions of female sexuality.
conclusionsThe use of medicinal plants for sexual health raises health, social, and conservation concerns, underscoring the need for further research in this area. This study contributes to understanding medicinal plant use within the Congolese community in Belgium and highlights the necessity for future research on herbal practices for female sexual health in this context.
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