"Is there no balm in Gilead?" : Exploring Effects of Traditional Medicine on Reproductive Health of Rural Women in Allandale, Mpumalanga

The negative reports associated with traditional medicine come from bogus traditional practitioners who expose women to the harmful consequences of concoctions supplied and administered on them. However, factors such as people's confidence in traditional medicine and the high costs associated with conventional Western medical treatments lead most rural women to traditional medicine usage. This study is grounded in critical and sociocultural theory. An explorative qualitative research was used. Data were collected through open-ended questions, non-participant covert observations as well as focus group discussions and then analysed using the thematic analysis method. The study participants consisted of seven rural women, five traditional health practitioners, three elderly people and 3 Western-trained doctors who were all sampled using non-probability sampling methods (purposive and snowball sampling) in Allandale village. The findings of the study showed that African traditional medicine plays a pivotal role in reproductive health care by offering readily available, cheap, culturally oriented and accessible health care for most rural women. Thus, the study recommends an introduction of a regulatory framework on the production, storage, use and trade of African traditional medicine.