Abstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, NahuaAbstract
Background: This article describes the local concepts indigenous Nahua women hold regarding their reproduction.
Specifically it provides a description of two indigenous illnesses—isihuayo and necaxantle, it discusses their etiology,
symptoms, and treatments, and it analyzes them within the local ethnomedical framework and sociopolitical
context. A perception of female vulnerability is shown to be an underlying shaper of women’s experiences of these
illnesses.
Methods: This research took place in a small Nahua village in Mexico. Qualitative data on local perceptions of these
illnesses were collected by a combination of participant observation and interviews. Ethnobotanical data was
obtained through interviews, and medicinal plants were collected in home gardens, fields, stream banks, and
forested areas. The total study population consisted of traditional birth attendants (N = 5), clinicians (N = 8), and
laywomen (N = 48).
Results: Results showed that 20% of the village women had suffered from one or both of these illnesses. The
article includes a detailed description of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of these illnesses. Data shows that
they were caused by mechanical, physical, and social factors related to a woman’s weakness and/or lack of support.
Traditional birth attendants often treated women’s illnesses. Five medicinal plants were salient in the treatment of
these illnesses: Ocimum basilicum L., Mentzelia aspera L., Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit., and Piper umbellatum L.
were used for isihuayo, while Solanum wendlandii Hook f. was used for necaxantle.
Conclusions: The research on these two ethnomedical conditions is a useful case study to understanding how
indigenous women experience reproductive health. Reproductive health is not simply about clinically-based
medicine but is also about how biomedicine intersects with the local bodily concepts. By describing and analyzing
indigenous women’s ill health, one can focus upon the combination of causes—which extend beyond the physical
body and into the larger structure that the women exist in.
Keywords: Indigenous ethnomedicine, Women’s health, Reproductive health, Medicinal plants, Mexico, Nahua