The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
WOMEN have since time immemorial used traditional herbs for various health reasons but more commonly in a bid to please their sex partners and in pre and post-natal healthcare.
Most of the herbs are suspected to warm the body, tighten reproductive organs and enhance sexual pleasure but unfortunately, research has shown that inserting them triggers cervical cancer which is killing most women in Zimbabwe.
According to the Zimbabwe Cancer Registry at least 2 270 women are diagnosed each year and 1 450 die from cervical cancer as they visit health facilities late when the cancer can no longer be treated. Despite the worrying statistics a sizable number of women still insert herbs in their reproductive organs for sexual pleasure and do not consider the repercussions. Ms Nobukhosi Jama confessed to having used herbs after being enticed by a friend to try them out.
“I experienced severe pain in my abdomen and immediately thought of the herbs I was using. I visited the hospital for Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIAC). They spotted some cancerous lesions and luckily they were treated using Cryotherapy which froze the cells before they spread,” she said.
This is however, not unique to Ms Jama alone as several others are having the same problem as they seek to please their partners sexually albeit causing harm to themselves.
Gogo Sophie Maphosa who sells traditional herbs in Makokoba said they used to have herbs that she prescribed for clients to insert in the reproductive organ but has since changed that.
“There are herbs that we used to give women to insert in their reproductive organs but as time went on we heard about cervical cancer and we stopped instructing them to do so. Now we encourage them to use the concoctions in porridge, water or milk. They work the same way,” she said.
She said they were being educated on the importance of not inserting anything in their reproductive organs, be it tissue or cotton wool as there was a risk of contracting cancer.
Common herbs sought by women are intolwane, isafice and umgugudu that are prescribed to spice things up with their partners. According to Gogo Maphosa these herbs increase the body temperature and remove excess gas and fluids in the system, making sexual intercourse more pleasurable.
“The Amarula tree bark, umganu is another hit as we tell women to soak the bark in water and then sit on the concoction and it will assist in tightening them,” she added
Asked on her clientele, she said women across all social classes visit her.
“Women who come here are very diverse, both the uneducated and affluent women from this city with top jobs and beautiful cars seek help with their sex lives,” she said.
Gogo Maphosa lamented the lack of knowledge in young women saying the role of aunts seem to have been abrogated.
“There are no more aunts today who take young women through the ropes, there is a growing belief that the aunts are causing misfortunes in marriages of the young women. I encourage young women to retrace their steps and get good sex education and advice from their aunts as they would have seen it all,” she said.
Mr Musawenkosi Gatsheni who also sells his herbs in Makokoba said women come seeking herbs to ensure they please their partners in bed.
“Depending on what they want to achieve, some herbs can be inserted in the reproductive organ while others can be mixed with porridge. Some are burnt and inhaled,” he said.
He said some women use Alena which is believed to be good at sucking the wetness from the women’s reproductive organ but warned against its use saying it usually burns the cervix and gives room to cancer.
Herbalist and director of Musimboti Traditional Science and Technology Institute Mr Morgan Zimunya says in Zimbabwe research has shown that more than 80 percent of pregnant mothers have their primary health care techniques rooted in the use of traditional medicine and urged harmonisation of traditional and conventional practitioners for the good of the country’s health sector.
He encouraged people to visit registered herbal practitioners and not abuse herbs saying depending on the objective some herbs could be inserted while some could be ingested. He said not all herbs cause cervical cancer when inserted.
“There are herbs that since time immemorial have been inserted without any side effects. The problem is that we now have more unregistered herbal practitioners who experiment on people. People should be encouraged to visit registered practitioners so that they have a case with them if the herbs don’t work according to prescribed instructions.
“People should not go and get herbs from street corners — from people they don’t know who have no addresses, we now have dubious herbalists who know that the catch phrase is to talk about enhanced sexual pleasure. But in most cases it’s not about sexual pleasure but genuine STIs and other problems relating to birth and after birth health issues,” he said.
Mr Zimunya said a number of people would know the herbs and how they are used but don’t know where to get them in town and that is when they consult.
An expert in VIAC screening at a local health institution who requested anonymity said cervical cancer was a cause for concern as women continue to insert herbs in their sensitive areas.
“When one inserts the herbs they affect the useful bacteria meant to keep away any other bacteria that comes. But when herbs are inserted they disturb that natural environment and expose it to infection.
“When herbs go direct to the cervix, it makes the cervix weak and infection may occur. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer then gets an entry point, if there are lesions that are made on the cervix.
“We therefore encourage women who cannot resist use of herbs to ingest them with porridge and not insert them as this does more harm than good,” she said.
She added that the reasons for inserting herbs were usually to do with pleasing sexual partners.
“When you ask them if they insert objects in their reproductive organs they do not own up but when we look at the cervix we see the remains of herbs in there. So we are saying these women must not be ignorant but take heed of advice from medical experts so that they do not continue to ruin themselves by inserting the herbs,” she said.
Besides Alena, found in pharmacies, lemons and vinegar have also been used and both have similar effects.
“Men are also getting burnt on the tip of their organs by the herbs that the women would have inserted. When we give health information to the men they say the most interesting things, they ask why women use the herbs to impress them sexually which then burn them too, and they also say women are the same generally and we are left wondering why the women even bother to use these dangerous things,” she added.
On average United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) sees between 400 and 500 women for cervical cancer screening and officials say women are taking the screening message seriously.
Self taught sex trainer who preferred to be called Mary said women must exercise and do kegel exercise which is holding the muscles of their reproductive organ at short intervals and releasing them. This helps to keep the muscles tighter than using herbs.
Research shows that kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum. Many factors can weaken pelvic floor muscles, including pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging, excessive straining from constipation or chronic coughing, and being overweight.
She suggested that women must also try chinamwari, a traditional rite whose roots can be traced to Malawi and Zambia where young girls are taught how to please men sexually without using herbs.
“Women can come for training, this way they learn a lot of ways to please their men in bed. The joy is that we can teach women this in the comfort of their homes, they can even form groups and we train them till they are good enough. Many women come back and give good testimonies after we teach them. It does not necessarily mean herbs are the only solution. They need to approach people like us and we offer lessons,” she said.
