Review explores the use of medicinal plants against women's diseases in the rural communities of Pakistan

In a recent Heliyon study, researchers reviewed the application and utility of traditional medicinal plants in treating gynecological complications and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Pakistan. Study: Folklore use of medicinal plants for the treatment of gynecological diseases in Pakistan-a review . Image Credit: Santhosh Varghese / Shutterstock.

com Medicinal plants in Pakistan Gynecological complications and STIs continue to threaten women’s health throughout the world, particularly in developing countries. Some of the key challenges in these nations include limited access to modern medical facilities, poor infrastructure, socioeconomic deprivation, and long-established cultural norms. Medicinal plants have been historically used for home remedies and primary medications in rural areas of developing countries.

In fact, current estimates indicate that about 80% of people living in rural areas remain dependent on herbal medicines. Pakistan has a rich flora with 1,572 genera and 5,521 species, most of which are limited to the regions of Hindukush, Himalaya, and Karakorum. Furthermore, Pakistan has 28 herbal processing units that use medicinal plants to produce various formulations, including 75 extensively manufactured crude herbal products.

A significant proportion of women in Pakistan’s rural communities use herbal medicines to treat their illnesses. These women often experience gynecological problems due to poverty, unhygienic living conditions, and hard physic.