Medicinal plant species used for contraception and reproductive health care in rural Uganda

Medicinal plants form an integral part of traditional health care systems in Uganda and are known to possess a variety of bioactive compounds some of which are beneficial as contraceptives. This study documented indigenous traditional knowledge on medicinal plant species used in contraception and other reproductive health care-related issues in rural Uganda. An ethnobotanical study was conducted from December 2019 to August 2020 in four different regions of Uganda: Mpigi, Kamuli, Bushenyi and Arua. Data was obtained from 158 traditional medical practitioners using semi-structured questionnaires. The study recorded 98 medicinal plant species with the potential to manage family planning and other reproductive health related conditions. The most represented family was Asteraceae with 18 species. Plant remedies were mainly prepared as decoctions (41 %) and administered orally (36 %). Most plant species (61 %) were harvested from wild habitats.