Ethnoknowledge and use of plants in genitourinary health care by women from a riverine community in the Amazon

This research aims to investigate the use of plants in genitourinary health care by riverine women in Cametá-PA, to understand if and how the local biodiversity can contribute to women's health care. Semi-structured questionnaires and non-directive interviews were applied with 32 women living on the island of Cuxipiari Furo Grande. The data were systematized and an analysis of the Corrected Agreement Index (CUPc) of the identified species was performed. The results suggest that the most important plants for the treatment of genitourinary disorders are Dalbergia monetaria L. f, Pachira aquatica Aublet, Anacardium occidentale and Caesalpinia ferrea Mart, mainly indicated for urinary tract infections. The stem bark of these species is used to prepare sitz baths and therapeutic teas. Although conventional medicine is currently more accessible in the floodplain, most women prioritize the medicinal use of products from nature, indicating the importance of traditional knowledge and local biodiversity for women's health care in the region. It is concluded that women still maintain a complex system of knowledge about the flora of the floodplain and that the availability of these natural resources is essential for the keeping of this system of knowledge and for the treatment of women's health.