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 HOlt' P ANTTZ

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Herbal Abortion: A Woinan'a DIY Guido

ttndet is nor intendedto provide

It is an informational
gujde
dastand your body and your
r_-! a.e
$.ntan1s noia.gi. ,r"ail
f qy prqru. anatr,cir.f.."""r,r ffi

EI6 c.nr,ined itr rhis booklel are baro

01 Ue
qsr:eac€s of.tbe aut}ors, ho,
eve.r.tb;;
hc-Hd rcspotrsible
for an) uAu.rs..ti*.i.
tromtbeuseoftieserream,ents.lr;
aouUr,
hEitare to consutra berbufpru.,;rio*r.
physicjal o. gynaeoologist_

S sf:'*$';I*:'rt$"*,"*,
 ' €&

atriarchysucl6. It's robbed us ofour

autonomy and much ofour history. \7e
believeir's integral for women to be aware
and in control ofour own bodies.The
recipeswe presentherehavebeen known and
practisedfor centuri€s,passeddown from
modrer to daughter, and have survived the
.cnrorsh.pofrhe wirchhunrs.Our inrenr r
simple and practical:ro help break away from
rhe medicalestablnhmenL s LenucuJargrip
on our bodiesand our approachesto health
and healing.
From anatomyto self-healingusing herbsand
massage, it is filled with easyrecipesand
remediesto conqrer yeastinfections, sexually
transmined diseases (STDs). hormonal
imbalances,late periods...a whole array of
medicin:iplmr. rnd nurrnionalinlor mrri"n
to arm us againsrabusivcand negligent
medicalpractices.A sectionon rphrodisiac
plantshas beenaddedfor your hncy.
Becausethe world ofwomen's health is vast ard
multi-faceted,we had to prioritize the
ff, selection ot mareriJ. Ve de.ided rr tbcuson
{ serual)y trrn.mitrcd di.c^cs.Hw/\TD5.
unwmted pregnancies,and more specific
rynecologicalproblemsas rhereis a la& of
alrernativeliteraturc on rhescsubjects.Other
apccrs of women'shezih (menopause,
ferrilit,v,pregnancy,psychologicalaspects,
etc...),while *tremely imporrmt, de too
exhaustivefor us to coverhere.
Bear in mind that stayinghealthy dependson good
nutririon and lifestyle,evenin matterssuch
as STDs. Povoty, abuseand living in a
crzed soceiryrnakeus easytargetsfor all
kinds ofunwanted invadcrs induding the
medicalestablishment.
Hor lanrzis rhe trgl',h ot C'e't roujou^
"dacration
chad d"n' b' ,"/ott"' d"' flbs (second
edition). This booklet is arrintroduction to
bxic herbal therapy;it's a matter ofgetting
to know diff.renrmedicrnat plann rnJ rhc'r
q
propenie., rd figuring our hr.h onc. *ork
bestfor eachof us.
Many ofthe treatmentsoutlined in this booklet will
nor be enorrghto eliininate certainchronic
condirion<.lfyou find yoursclfinrhi'
situation,you may want to opt for more
advancedherbal approachcs.Co"sult bools
 written by other witchesaod heal€rswho
escapedrhe stake.Or perhapstake a doser
look at homeopatl'y,acupuncture,etc., all of
Tdfi{, d (,tYewtr
arev:lu,ble meuhod,ofhe:ling. Body Mapping (in brie0 ...........................-............
4
',hich
\X,6ile these treatmenrs are speciffcaliy recommended
About Menstmation....-.-..........................-.-..........
6
for women, many of them carr also be
applied to mcn. A Good rdeafor Repiacing
Tampons....................
6
The last scccions"How to PreparearrdUse Herbs" lremcnsrrualSyndrome....................
rnd "HerbalPropenie',nd Dovter, Amenorrhea
or Absenceof Menses.......................
8
c,nr;ir *plaaLions. mechods of prepamr;on Menorrhagia
or Excessive y
Flow................-........-...
(infusions,decoctions,tincrures...)and above
Dysmenorheaor PaintulPeriods.........................
9
all, the characteristics
and waysofusing the
herbsmentioned in this booldet. ile it Lovein *re Age ofAids .............................-..........
1I
may be tempting ro sLip ahead to the
treatments suggesred,it is EXTREMELY 35 Yearsof Fertility..............................................
14
IMfORTANT rhat you read dreserecLjon.. After a tusly Saual Encounrer................-........-.
16
Herbs arevery powerful md it's imporrmt
A SimpleVay ofBringing on Your l,crn:d .......-. l7
that you understaad how they work, how to
prepare them, and when to avoid using How to Bring on a Period Using Emmenagoguesi7
certaiaplarrts.
STDs nd Orhcr A1icns.........................
..............
2l
Finally ro end on a beau-tea-fulnote, there'sa list of
Crabs..........................
........................................
22
usefuladdressesc well a.lref€rencebooks on
the subjecr. Scabies...............................
............................
23
Ve hope rhis booklet will inspire you co seekout GenitalVarrs .....................................................
23
moreJrernariveinform,rionand ei.-l^." Herpes...............................................................
24
/our oPtions. Bladder& Urinary Infections.............................25
Chlamydia...................
.............
.......................
26
Vaginids& VuIvitis............................................
26
YeastInfections& Candida................................
26
Trichomonas ........-.........28
Teo good reasorls
to keep this booklet
on hand and to share it
B Gardnareila...................................................,.
Bacterial
Infecdons& Gonorrhea.......................
28
28

The Ovariesarrdthe Uterus.................................

30
ifyou'd like to know as much about your cunt as OvarianPain............... ........... ... .. . ........30
your doctor docs OvarianCvsts............. ..........- .. . ..........30
ifyou breal our into a cold sweateverydme Fibroidsin the Uterus. ..............-.................
3i
your period s latc VaricoseVeinson the C€rvix..............................
31
ifthe pill is giving you the blucs HormonalImbalarrce.. . ........- ................
31
ifyour friend's got cramps Cleansing
Your Genita1s
.....................................
32
if Se condom busts
Aphrodisiacs ....................33
ifyou carchrhe clap
if antibiotics give you a yeast infection How to PrepaemC UseHdbs ...........................
34
ifyour ycasty itch males you wanr to grab the n,.kinoYo,,rowr Hnar ...........,t

ifyou bleedbuckets HerbalProperties

arrdDosages.............................
39
if STDs are squattingyour crotch
Interesting
Rcading.........-.........-..........................
48
...and for many other reasons...
Uscftl Addresses
..................................................
48

L
MrJv,
PXdlftn9lrier , t'l t,
labia majora (outerlips) cover the other para ofthe
rulva. They becomethinner at their base,wherethey
fusewi*r the perineum,the muscle bemeen the anus
.urd rhe vagina.Inside the labia majora are the labia
minom. They arejoined at the t"p t" for- a
protectivesheathover the clitoris. Thq' elso p.orecr
the opening to the urethra.
The areabeween the labia rninora is largely
occupiedbya spacecalledthe vestibule.At birth this
spaceis almost completelycoveredby the l,y.*.,
which variesin size,shape,and rigidity. The hymen
car be torn during sporting activities,by the
rn'enionof, rmpon. or Jurng ma<rutbarion or
vaginalpenerration.Somewomen have piecesof
si<inaround rhe ves buie-theseare the remnarts of
The Clitoris & Genital Glands
The clitoris is an organ designedessentiallyfor sexual
srimulation and pleasurc.The .litoris and labia
contain erectablerissuewhich swell up during sexual
Two pans ofglands re anached to the vulva: *re
SLene'sglandsliejust under the clitoris, arrd secrete
m alkalineliquid which reducesrhe vagina s natural
acidity.The secondand largerset ofglands, the
Banholin's glands,are locaredat the opening ofrhc
vesdbule,and secretefluid during stimulation. They
are normally about the sizeofa small pea and arenot
very prominenl Their swellingcan be causedby
whar is calleda Bartholin'sabscessor cyst.
The Vagina
The vasi,rais $e channelwhich connectsthe rdva
md rh. inrcnrJ urg.ns.Ir ir sevenro rwelve
centimeneslong. During a vroman'slertile time, her
vaginaisecretionsare acidic, but beforepuberty and
afrer nenopausethe vaginais modcrarelyalkaline.
Vaginal secretionscome Fom rhc Banholin glards
and from the cervicaicanal(which is also rhe source
or . ervi.r.l"rucu'r.I \"ir n.rmal dl,"hrrgc is
odorlcssand wareryor slighdywhite. They clearse
the vaginalcanal,in addition to coating thc ntelor
of rhe vagina.
lfhe Uterus
The uterusis abour the sizcand shapeofa pearard
is made up ofrwo main parts: rhe body and the
cervix.From puberty to menopause,the
endometrium (or the urerinelining) forms every
ro provide.'uitive support for a fertilized
-onrh,
egg.If rhe eggi. rot ienilized.rhe endomeLrium is
expelled-thisis kaown as mensrruarion.
4
The cervixis shapedlike a cylinder;it is
approximatelytwo and a halfcentimeres long, with
a fine canalrunning through it, opening into the
uterusup top, and co the vaginaat the borton.
A11chmgesin the functions of the uterus
(menstruation,pregn:lrcy,menopause)are regulared
by hormonescontrolled by the hypothalamus,the
pituitary glaod, the o""ries, and by other substances
.uch aspro t"gl$dirs.e. ercdby rhc ur.rrneri..ue.
The uterusis connecredto the ft1lopiantubes, which
harbor rhe ovum (or egg)releasedeverymonth bv
one ofthe rwo ovaries.
The Ovaries
The ovariesare locatedin the pelvismd rest on
either sidc ofthe uerus. Eachovary is hcid in place
by strong elasticligaments.The serratedoriftce of
rhe fallopiantube is locaredjusr abovecach ovary,
with the tube leading to the utenx. Even rhough
rhey arevery closeto eachother, the ovariesand rhe
openingofthe fallopian rube are not in direct
conscr. Tbe ovariesdevelopand releasethe ovLrrn
:rnd play an essentialrolc in our hormonal system.
They ue pinkish'grey, alnond shapedand are ebour
threecentimerreslong. A layerof cellsc,lled rhe
oogenicepirheliumcover.rheovrrie : rr i< irom
thesecellsthar the eggis lormed. Thousandsof
immature ova (eggs)gatherin chesepoucheson the
surf:ceofthe ovaries.In addition to rheir role of
developingthe ova, the ovariesproduce rhe
hormonesestrogenand progesrerone.
For more informarion on anatomy,r'omen's gcnical
organsand their functions, and on the rolc and
Lbri.rrion ^r hormonc...on.ul'rhe folloring
Nat ldl R.ddikg
in Gtntubg, br RihaNn5im,1984,6d(ion
DisPensairedes iimm.s.
Hamons: The \Yon.n\ AnJa,/ -8,,*, by Los Jovanovic M D
and GenellJ. Subak-Sl,arpeM.S., 1987, I\a Book. Publishcd
Ndtulal Hornon. H.abh: Dtug Frc. \Ytt' to Bdld,r. yorr Lif.,
by tuabelle Melville, llarper Collins ?ubhl!e6.
The N.u a* Bodic', Oun.t e' (U?ddkd ad Lr?and.,r t, th.
9rt br ihe Bosron \vomcn! He.lth Book Collective, 1992,
Simon mdSchus*. (Espe&ily good for info on an{omy)
FEt\iAt,E PELVTCORC^NS l5idc\i$l
 ,\'I*
1 fu tuaw"
*,
t A
+-
f" a^d
t.l to n Q
.l 4 t t t s. t r
I, i" *rp;"r"g to *rli* ,. *h"..r,.".
i alr individual thing-every womrn menstrlrat€s,
-." yet"
color, odor, remperature,needs,desiresand pain can
vary tremendouslyfrorn woman ro woman. It is also
amazingto note that women who live togetheror
who are very closeoften menstrrnteat the same
ln many societia menstruationwas rraditionally
(and in some case sdll is) viewed as a very powerfin
time-a time for women to purify themselvesand to
relax.This is a far cry from how most ofus
cxperiencebleeding.\Ve're usuallytaughr to hide
any evidenceofblood, padsor plugs (henccthe
ridiculous individually wrappedpoika-dotted
packaging),to be "discreer'(like, don't talk about it
at all) or don! whine ("you're such a bitch when
youie on the rag). \Ve encouragebitching, talking
v'uiecbe'l
r7g"
I'.;":ffi ::makes
f o r R eplacinC -lw)\
-f arnpons & Pads v"-
Using brand-nametamponsand padscan be
harmful to you. Plusthey cost a 6rcune, being
"luury" nems and atl. V&enever possible,avoid
scentedproducts asrhesereleasea whole slewof
chemicalsinro you girl parts (a.d smell gross).
Tampons are bleach.dusing dangerouschemicals
which can be absorbedinto the body through the
vaginalwalls and Toxic Shock Syndromehasbeen
dirccdyJinked ro tampon use.Plasdctampon
applicarorsarenon-biodegradable and dog rewage
systems,often washingup on baysand beaches.You
can avoid someofthese problemsby using non'
bleached tmpons, arailable at some health food
srores.You can alsobuy 100% conon pads (or even
beter-make your own!) they are washable and re-
usable,thus avoidingunnecessary waite.
Insrcadoframpons you can usenatural seasponges.
Simply dampen rhe sponge,insercit inro rhc vagina
wnh your fingers,md removeit oncc it's saturated.
Doni worry about pushingit up too far-even
though it doesni havea cord there'sno risk losing it
"up rhere."Spongescan be left insidc the vasina for
sever:1hours, depcndingon your flow arld the sizeof
the sponge.Once the spongeis saturated,rinse tt rn
warm or cold running watet, squeezeout the exc€ss
water, and reinserrit.
This is a cheaper, cco-friendly alternative to
ramporx. Avoid syntheticsponges.Natural sponges
are often soid asmake-upremovalpads,and caa be
6
found in the cosmeticssectionofthe pharmacy or ar
healthfood stores.Ofcourse they aren't advertised
asmenstrLralspongescausethat would rhrcaten the
"sanitaryhygiene" indusrry.A spongecan last up to
six months ifyou rakegood c.areofit. Discard the
spongeonce it beginsto {lll apart.
Soakyour spongeovernight in a cup ofwater wirh
one teaspoonofwhne vinegarbeforeard/or after
eachperiod. This kills the bacteriadut can cause
yeastand other vaginiris.ifyou havea bad vaghal
infection dtring menstmation, it s bestnot to reue
rhat spongeagain.Storeyour spongein a cloth or
box betweenperiods.
Also, aword about the Keeper,a litde 100o/orubber
cap that you placeon your cervix to collectthe
m.n.,,urlbtood. Empry,w,.h,nd repla.eir ev.rl
2- i hours.The keepe-i! Lnown ," bc reJlt
comfombJc, safc,easyro useand w;ll be yours for
n'any years.No necd for tanpax or pads,you're free!
Bestpricc in Canada:$37.t9 (tx ind.) avalaiblext
Frigo wcn (2130 McKay, Montreal, H3G 2Jr; 514
848'7586), or call Eco Logique at 1-800'680-9739,
or email <keeper@magi.com> for mail order. This
solution costsa bit ofmoney, but lastsalmost
'Pr"-u.rt"...'.t
/B
Svndrorne (PMS) \
' L,9
Theseare varied;mood changes,irritabiliry, crmps,
painfin or sollen breasts,headachcs, zirs,water
retention, bloating, lack ofenergy, herpesourbreaks,
9s ard other digestivem:ltunctions, flulike
symptoms,back pains...combine thesesymptoms
wiLhm irreg"lrror prinn,l ." le sd l-r'vr gor rhe
genericprofile ofa woman who's readyto kill. Most
likely she,llbe prercribcdthe Pill to 'solve" all her
problems.Medical geniusat it's finestlMethods of
coPnS:
Diet
0 Lower your inrake ofsalt.
0 Eat loods rich in porassium:bananas,potatoes,
cabbage,pearsand almonds.
0 Ear a lot of seaweed:kelp (freshor in tabler form),
hijiki, dulse...
0 Make foods high in vitamin 86 a regularparr of
your diet: greenvegetables,so/ producrs,and
nutritional yeast(you can also tale brewer'syeast
capsuies); note that wornen who re prone to yeasr
infections.hould avoid yeastat all times.
0 Take a lot of vitmin A, especiallyif you have
paintul breastsand suffer from cramping.Carrots,
onions.garlic.Lurnipr..pjna.h. lentiJs, apricor..
lemon<.ard raw . eger.rble oil, rre :Jl rich in
0 Drink lots of watcr.
I{erbal treatrnents
0 Follow the treatmentsfor hormonal imbrlances
(p 3l).
Menorrhagia
or Excessive Flow II
ij+
v r A.
- "J ertP.4z)
.,
": ,ro' iretieve
::,- rfns'on
,P ,-lnd
,iM,L
6 ,,.,!*
v
crrmp<.
Red raspbery leaves(p.45) are besrc they d
nor .rop .ou from bleeding. bur h-p regul:'
lour flow. Sr.rr r'ing thcm one-cel, b.fo,e
:t
trnt.r period is due and conrinuethroughout
Sone book provide a dctailedaccountof rne rote rnenstruation.Repeatif nccessary.
playedby hormonesin causingPMS-why we
The rollowins all hetp reduceexcessive
mensrrual
producetoo much ofcertain hormones,arrdnot
flow:
enoughofothers. PMS is often causedby hormonal
irreqularnies,and so it is helpful to read uo on this 0 Vitamin C.
0 Vitamin T (sesameseeds,sesameburer).

Arnenorrhea 0 Bioflavonoids(buckwhcat,dre skin ofcnrus fruits,

or At)sence of Menses 0 Alfalh (2 handfLrlsoffresh sproutsor 3 rabletsptr

This may be due to severalfactors.Normal absence
ofmenstruation (missinga period, or sever,l);
causedby pregnalcy, lactarion,and menopause.
Amenonhca.an
"Lo b, causcdby vervpoordicr.
ex.essive exercising,losing )argeamounts ofweighr,
fatigue,stress,hormonai imbalancc,going off the
pill, or by meubolic problems:diabetes,liver disease,
inconsistcncies in thyroid levels.
Trytoeatwell. n Ve get crampsbefore,during, and
To bring on rnenstruation
? us that suffcringis part ofbeing a
0 A .prigot prr\le) inrrr.d * tur aspos<ibleinro (
the vaginacan bring on mensuuarionby causing \
u,"-:,,econ,racr;on(. ln.en ir beforego;ngro deep.
ud remoreir rheloJlowingmorning.Do rhislor J
to 4 days.Accompanyrhis with parsleyinixions
(p.44).
day rhroushour your cvcle) 1l lessenyour
Dysrnenorrhea
or Painf:ul Periods
Most ofus experiencesensations
ranging from mild discomlort to
excruciatingpaj!r during menstruarion.
after our periods.Medical scGncerells
womm. But wc know they'reliars.
Sexuailytransmitreddiseases (STD$
are sometimesrcspolsiblefor pain bur mosr ofrhe
rimc crampsare causedby inflammation, swellilg
md tension in the cei.r'ixmd urcrus.

0 Tale sagein infusion or tincture (p.45).

0 Drink nothelworr infusions (p.44) for 4 to 5 days.
Do nor cxcccd6 days;yo.i shoulil get youi period
in the follcwing days.
0 Masage the rellexzonesfor rhe urerusand ovaries
2 to 3 rimesa day (p.10).
0 Tosy in infusion or rincture (p.46) can hdp
regulateamoorrhea. Note thar ransycan cause
heavybleedingin women who normalty havc a
hea'7 flow.
0 Ifyou sufferregularlyfrom amenorrheaor late
periods,ir would be berterfor you to think rn
termsofa more holistic treatmentinsteadof simply
rrying to bring on your period. Consult an
herbalist,or try homeopathicremediesor other
alternative medicines. Drinking sageand red
raspberryleaf teason a regularbasiscan help
improve rhis condition, as they help tone the uterus
r
--+,--...jJ-
\. :.t ) )
t. I
i-/ 5 5 t'O
4
0 Awoid sa1t,sugarand procexed foods (inci,rding
whire sugar,whne flour and whne bread).
0 Eat foods high in porassiurneveryday: bananas,
dry fmits, melons,oranges,carrors,1ea6.grcen
vegetablesancl potatoes.
0 Eat dark greenvegerablcs
and orang$ for vlramrn
A (n reducestension).
0 Eat oatmeal,broccoli, p,Jdey (which cu b. mken
asan intusio!), Brazil nuts, almonds,and seawccd
for rherrhigh cahiumconren,rwhicheLminJ,"\
cranrpt. Smwrcd (kelp in particular)can be tatcn
in tablet form.
0 Hot barhs,a hor warer bonle placedon the lower
abdomen,smoking a joint, vigorousor light
exercise,md orgasnx aLlhelp relievetensior,
cramping and pain.
0 Yarow (p.47) tahenin capsulelorm, tincturesor
intusionsprovidesvery good results.Begin 1 weel
b. f"rc your priod and .onrinue rl-roughouLir.
0 Ginger (p.42) infusionsrapidly relie.re
cramps.You car alsochewthe freshroot.
Tale asneededto relievepain.
0 Redraspburyleafrea(p.,15)
-o.Ls
weLlto alleviate
crampsbut must be
rakcn regululy (overa period ofmonrh$.
It is mild alld call be usedfor long-term
foot mrssage ro alleviate crarnps
Massagethe uterineand ovarianreflexareas(located
'oehindthe ankles,just aboverhe heel). Pressnaro
whereit hurts. This areais generallyvery sensrrtve at
rhc onsetofmenstruation. Use your thumb to pur
firm prcssureon dre area,for five minutes on each
si.1c.Alternatemassagingeachfoot, asneeded.Thn
massage yieldsxtonishing results,especiallyifit's
done by someoneelse.
FOOT MASSAGE
CHART
I N S I D EO F
OUTSIDE
OF FOOT
f.r moreinform.rrion abourthe dmger<of u'ing
bleachedtamponsar'd pads (aswell as excellent
refcrencesfor alternativ es), cons';,lt \Yhitew*h by Liz
Armstrong ard Adrienne Scott, 1992, Harper
Collins.
Against the Pill, by Barbara
The Doctor\ Ca.se
1980, Doubleday.
Scarna-n,
u.i"lhe
kf; i l s
AIDS is now a fact oflifc and oflove. More and rnore
peoptewe love (friends,6mity, co-workers)are hins
with HIV. Preventionis about loving yourselfenough
to understandthe risksalrd to makedecbions for
yourselfand thoseyou careabout.You set the rules.
The rvay it rvas
For rhe first eight yearsofthe pandemic,most
researchers a.ndhealthcareprofesionalsignored the
impacr ofAIDS on women. lnnial definitions of
AIDS didn! include gynecologicalsympromsmd
women who were nrfecredlud a nuch shoner lile
expecrancl simply bccausethey wereonly diagnosed
onccrh.1'rvere alrcaJrrery ill.
l{'hen rho'e,n . h,rgedrd Jccidero pur *omen \ I
undeIhc m;,ro.,op..rheir,otc.on.ernwd how,,
women might spreadthe syndromeinto rhc "general
^/ ^ ^i , , t,..,,i,^" -' " / ,, 1
. ,-,i . ----
,^
---
, 4 ;- ., /. -i - o r
t, ,^,,r1 t -, dt,c
Iexrs, the only studiesinvolving lfestern women
r-rgered,erworkcr.rnd tpnrcnr::lrmo,hfl .
Rescarchfocuscdon rhcir capaciryro transmir HIV,
not cheirhealth or responsero medicarions.It wasni
undl 1990 thar a sreaterrisk for cervicalcancd war
lisredamongAIDS symptomsand ir wasonly in
1997 that prematuremenopauscwasalsolinked ro
HIV infection in women.
The rway it is
MostAIDS educationis presenredaslcngdry liss of
'safe'and'unsafi'activities.This makesit a rx cas,cr
to read rhrough rhe liss, declderhat most
information doe*it apply bccause'Idon\ do rhar or
'I'm nor like that' and then smuglyreturn to p)easure
asusuaI.Understandinghow HIV is transmittedis
c,,y: undcr:,"ndirgh"* Lo"pplv rh.rr," you, l;r. I'
in;:"e, hone.,yr; re.os.;);"s . ;li, *.
'",, )
Very <implyHIV i presenrin vJ-iou ., ,,.r.,.rion
in the bodily fluids ofpeople alreadycxposedto the
virus. Thesefluids arc harmles unlessrhey come rnro
contacrwirh your bloodsrream.Healihy, unbroken
skin (no curs, rashcsor irrnations)is your firor line of
Going with the flow
A briefnote about bodily fluids. Blood canics rhe
highe.r.oncenrrrtionof H lV. \p.rm -l o con',in.
transmissiblequanritiesof HlV. Vaginalsccretrons
are considerablylorverdown on rhe list, although
levelsof HIV arc incrcascdif dre secrerionscome
from someonewith a yeasrinfection or other local
infection (white blood cellsconcentrarewhere rhe
infection is, and thosecellscarry rhe virus).This n
'why it is much easierfor a woman to becom. infccred
by a man than the reverseduring boy-girl contacr.
Sal;va,rears,swear,fecesand trine carryminimrl
amountsof HIV:rnd therehavebeenno reported
casesofinfecion wnh any ofthese fluids.
tl
Blood
Becauseblood is extremelyinfectious,needlesare
often ref.rred ro a.sthe 'most efficient'meansof
rrarsmitting HI\r. A needlewith microscoprcrraces
ofblood in .r .an deliverrh"r blooddirecrlyinro yo.r-
blood,Lrerm you u.e ir. 'h.lringneedles i'
"hen
RussianRouletre.Ifyou don't havenew needles,
dean used needles (alld worlcs) rhoroughly, several
timeswith diluted bleachand water;Theserules
apply to body piercingand tanooing.
\ )
Sperrn ^ conconed, a condom,with the tip cut offand slit up
I '
\s ror .c:ru:lconr,cr.,nwhrng rhrr in"ol"e..perm J
involvts morc corrsideration than annhing that
/ pinch. Ifyou havecuts on i.our handsyou can gct
doe.nr rhinkof ir a lm,ll dor ot le,bin.
urivilcecJ. F-clunecJn crerrefri.tion that lead' to
i'i"',i..," in L.:uc rrherirk i. morc likely
",!in"l
wirh aral tissue,which is more fragile).Spermcan
enterthe bloodstreamthrough thosetears.lfyou
haveanotherinfecdon that involvessoresor lesions
on your gmirals (for insrance,herpes)theseen :lso
act asa oooNay ror rne vrrusto entel yo'lf
bloodsrieain.The reverseis true if1'our partner has
sores,and you are HIV+, especiallyifyouie
menscruating. Remember,blood caries a much
nrghcrconccnrrrrion ofrhe virus rh,n
'aginJ
Oral sex can carry a rbk if you havc cuts in your
mouth or alongyour digestivetracr (cold sores,
blecdinggums,recenrdentalwork, etc.)Thais why
somesourcescounselthc useofmouthwash insteadof
a toothbrushifyou want to be minry cleanbeforesex.
Condorns
Your bestde€ense in thesesituationsis a iatex
condom. HIV can'r passthrough latex. Using them
properlymears alwayspinching the tip when it's pur
on to ensurerhat no air is in it-rhais the leading
causeofbreakage.Lots ofwater-basedlube alsohelps
keepthe condom incactand diminish fricrion tirat
could Leadto openingsin vaginalor anal walls. Oil-
bued lubes;an eat through condoms,making them
Ifyou're allergicro latex,animal condomsare still
arorrnd.Double wrap the penisin questionwith an
animal condom on the side thar will come in conracr
wirh alergic skin (on the outsideifyou have the
aj1erg1,,on the insideifyour partnerrisks irritadon).
ll,c I"rcxc"ndon will 'Lill .rop HIV Lrrnrmision
.,, i ,1 -
-^ -
TI
-.-
i- .--
-r:^ ^.
Sperrni-de-cide
A smallwarning about Nonoxynol-9. This spernicide
is ofren promoted aseffecdve in killing HIV, aswell
assperm.The problem is, that it's a litde too srrong.I
once watched an Ausualian sexworker use a single
condom lubricatedwith Nonorynol-! to removenail
polish offborh her hands.It may kill the virus, but it
may earthrough your skin aswell, leavingyou more
at risk for infection. Detergena,bubble bathsand
other producrsmay alsoirritate delicaterissues,so be
t2
caurious.The manufacturersofthese items doni
alnaysthink abour whereand how they'll be uscd,so
yot haveto. | : \
vasinar fluids \ J\ L
Informarion is not too clearon whethervaginal lluids
(without the presenceofblood or other infections)
carry enoughvirus for tnnsmission.Repons are
infiequent and usuallythey involve the presenceof
o other risk facrors(like sharingneedles).It\ up ro you
whetheryou want to be cautious.Ifyou are
onesid. ..rn :cr "" a barrierber*eenmourh rrc . Jnr.
Non-microwavableplastilvrap can alsodo rn a
larexglovesfrom your friendly neighbourhooddoaor
or dentist.Try not to sharesextoys (like dilooq
without rinsing rhem in warerand diluted bleachor
coveringthem with a new condorn for each us€.
Pregnancy
Transmissionis alsopossiblefrom infectedwomen to
then children through ptegnancy.This risk has
grcadydininished (it\ lessthan 25% in Norrh
America).h doesnot appearthat pregnancyitself
consriNtcsrisk, but infection can occur during
deliverywnhout precautions.Breastfeedingmay also
involve risk becauseofthe possibiliryofpresenceof
the virus in breast-milk(sincebabicsalsoingestsmall
amorrntsofblood from chappednipples,it's difficult
to determinehow infecdousbreut'milk n alone).
Trearmentsareavailablethat greatlyredrce the risk of
infection to unborn children of HIV+ pregnant
women, though the long rerm effectson mother and
.hild ,re .rill nor under*ood.Krowrngearlyin a
pregnancywhcther or not you are HIV+ and proper
follow-upc:n alto rcdrr,erhe'i.1.oi,-nrmi.:i.:.
Knowing beforeyour pregnancywill ensurerhat
neirherofyou becomeHIV+ rying to haverhe baby.
This informadon is presentedsinply in terms ofhow
easilyccrtain fluids can enteryour bloodstream
duing different activities.\7c haven'rn::de any
distincrionsabout whetheryou aresleepingwnh men
and./orwomen, considcringprcgnancyor nor. HIV
lon:ei,hd &
-{nd rernernber W
Despitewhat you'd like to believe,HIV doesnot
becomelesstmsmnsible ifyou reallylove eacrrotner,
if you ve bourr e,.h orher: longrime.if you
'e
decidedto live togetheror ifyou're sureyou'll never
sleepwith anyoneelsc,evtr. And jusr how sur€are
you, an''way?
References
Vamp:, Virgin: and V;aims: Hoa can aonenfght
,41D5?,by Robin Gorna, Cassell,London, 1996.
lYonen and HIV/AIDS an international rc:osce boob,
by MargcBereru irh sun:ndaRay.tandora.H-rper
collins, 1993.
13
 control ovcr our bodies.You may alsolind it usetul

,
fr'ir{+?[f
\(e ortlate every28 days.Thars 15 to 20 dmes per
yearand at leasr300 mensrrua.lcycl.s in a lif.time...
to chart 1'ourperiodson a nenstruzi calendar.lt
may be necessalvto get vour ov:rries(etc.) rn oetrer
shape;see"Hormonal Imbal:rrce" (p.31) or
,-le"n.ir g YoLrrt'en ..1. p \) . Rcd
'apberry
leaf (p.45) is excellenrfor toning the utcnrs ,",i

For thosc ofus who deep wirh feilas,rhars Your raginal rnucus (or dischargc)changesduring
thoLcandsofopponuniries lor gerdngpregnant.Ir's rhe monrhly cycle,and during ovulation it tales on
normal ro .h*ge your partners,mind and methods. r'ery specificcharacreristics
*'hich allow a womm ro
It's nonnal to abort. It's normal ro frcak out! l know ifshe is ovLrlatingor not. A sort of'mucus
" l"
1'heserhingsmakc it evenhard.r *' t microscope'is available,to check ifyour ceriel
"n mucus is leniie or not. The microscopemakes ir
0 Men's indifference,and their ignoranceabout their
casierto idcnri! the variouspropertiesofyour
c,wnfcrtiliry; men are fertile all the time, and x,e're
rnucus.Ifyou havea microscope,practising this is
,.1rn ,' l) .hc on.. h*e ro de.l *itlr ir.
"ho I easy.Sornehellrh food srorcsscll rhis gadgct;
0 The added rcsponsibilityofcontraception od I problem is, n costsabout $50. Onc solution is for
e',"'i'i"]"ys',11;1
l"llu l:lJ':'!)rD' *. women who Jivetogetherto shareit. Clonsultrhe
referenccslisted bclow to find out more abour
0 l'he stresswhich resultsfrom having to constantly idcntifiing thc characteristlcsofi'our mucus. YoLr
educaremcn about taking responsibilitieslor their car alsoexmire it wirhout a microscope.
bodies... and ours. Make surc to rcad up on this subjectmd get ro
It can seembleakar timcs...but heepin mind-lovers know your cyclewhile usins a reliablemethod of
come and go. \bur body is yours lor the long haul. binh control, to make sureyou can tell ifyour
Bc soodr.1our Jf"bo'e Jl.,nd if'om.one,',., mucus is fertile or nor.
persuadeyou odrerwise,askyourselfwhosernrerests 'o
Check your mucus
rhey'vegot in mind. Our attitudestowardssexhave
charged.They've had to n s a marter ofsurvival.
Don'r rhink that women don't 'gef' AIDS: we do,
n:rnbe . in, re-ing Jl rh. r.me.sJe <exi< \
'
essentialmd condomsoffer the advantageof i]
protecting againstboth HIV md unwan;ed A
pregnucies (seesafesex,p.l1). Mmy ofus have
found "enfocins" safesexwith our lovershard. lt's a
drag lntcning to"guyswhinc about condomsbeing
uncomfonabieor unrxy. ft's evenmore ofa drag
bcing in conflic*virh the personyou want to fuck,
. .p . J lr\r b. tu. [ng rhr.
'lr, "'.cn ,o-
arguLng.
lrelf iul \ nr in.r'eyou don r f"llou rhi, lin.: For rnore inforrnation
The New Ou Bodie:, Ourseha (Updated and
0 Never think you'rc inlertile bccauscyou've never Expandedjir the 90), by the lloston \(omcn's
gonen pregnanrwhen you havehardly used Health Book Collective:drn is a good rcsourceon
,,n ra..p i.e.. cvenov er. long pcriodof rime.
women's health issuesin general;this most rccclt
0 Avoid thc Pill; try to opt for alternadvemethods of edirionL,. becnetp;ndcd ro in.lud. ;r,I rn " ion or
connaccprion:condoms,cenical cap, diaphragm. the mucus ncrhod and other alternadvesto chemical
\0lile they may seemrediousto use,thesemerhods -^^,.---^,i .,-. --l --l -i ,.-.
olferrl'e ,d' rg'"fn", d <ru b:rgrou' body' 'Ihe Ndacal Birth Contal,Baal, bv Art Rosenotoom.
'n
natural cycle.l akc timc to gcr to know your fcnile Availablc from thc Aquarian ResearchFoundation,
pcriods by observingyour cervicalmucus arld other 5620 Morton Street,PhiladclphiaPA, 19144 USA;
signsofovularion. tel,:(2r5) 849-3237.
0 l '. imponantLofigureouL hcrh.r yorr . y. lc i. Naaral Bith Contal, by Katia & JonathanDrale:
" explains the temptrature metlrod.
regularor not, and ro understandhow it wo.ks.
I-ror'rworryif r rale.you ; rvhilero figureirour. Selj:i1el7,,Fertilit1 and B;/th Contol: A fmlnt't
Your mcnstrualcycleis like a good friend-you get aplloacL to det.fnin;flg ourktion. Avzilzblefor
to know ir betrerover time. This i a stcp toward $1.50US from The EmmaColdmanClinic for
reproductivelreedom and the reappropriationof Vomen, 715 N. Dodgc, Iowa City, Iowa, 52240,
USA.
14 15
For info on lenility a*'arenessand natual brrttr
B,rbaraFeldman.j4) E. tJk s..
5,,ee,=D. New vork. Ny. t000J. u)A.
Check our the researchand rechniquesofAvrva
t on Your Per iod
Srcinerand ReumaCohen, two women who have
dcvelopeda method basedon using1'ogaald
exerciseto inhibir the implantation ofthc eggin rhe
Lrrcrus,alrd thcreforebring on menstruation.This
can help too for nenopauseard menstrual
prcblems.For more inlormation on the subject,call
\'1ona Hebert, a homeopathwho giveswomcn's
herlth worLshopsbasedon thos{:exercices. Tel:
(.5r4)5210745.
After a Risky
Sexual
Encounter I
(Thescare nor methodsofbirth conrrol and should
nor be usedon a regularbasis).
t.,,^,.;. h", .,,".,^ - ,-,r -- ,,:.,'--. ^n,lcn
breaks,the following merhodscan hdp preventan
unwanredprcgnmcy.
0 ln rhe llrst momcn* following risky s* (or ifa
condom breaks),insen one non-chewableVitamin
C tablct (idolly a 500 milligram tablet) into the
vagina.Thc acidiry rvill chmge the pH-balancein
drc vaginaand preventspermfrom stayingalive.
l)^.Js.: I ro 2 ubler, in'erredinro rhe vaginrevery
12 hours, for 3 days.This may burn or cause
vaginelirrirarion; in rhis case,follow the yogurt
rcame,n (see"Yect Infections", p.26). Take high
dosagesof Viamin C orally Gee"A Simple \?:y of
Bringingon YoLrrPeriod',p.t7). fhisisagooci
medrod to Lrsewhen you'rc travelling,or asm
emergcncymethod.
0 \(Jld carrot seed(p.47) can be usedro ryoid
unwantedprcgnocies by preventingthe fertilized
eggfrorn artachingnselfto cheutcrine wall.
Iro-ge: I rca'poonof 'eed' cvcryd,1. . r,,ring a'
rhe rimc ofovulation or immedhtely after unsafe
sexduring the ferdle period. Somewomen take the
e.d. for ore w*|. orh.r. unrrlbleedingLcgin'.
You can chew on thc seeds,mke rhem in a glax of
rvateror juice, or swallowthem in gelatin capsules.
Male surethat the seedsyou buy have not been
chemically*eated, asthis destroystheir
elfectiveness.
16
A Sirnple 'W-ay
of Bringing
(If you suspect alr Lrnwanted pregnarcy)
This recipeshould not be Lrsedon a regular
nor as a method ofcontraception. lr is easy
prepare,cosrsalmost norhing, ard it is nor
havc side eflecrs.
fhe be.r rime to begir rhe rrerrmer:r .< rhe,1-y
"n
rhrr you u.rc uppo cd robeg'n men.r,u"(in8 o,
rhe next day).
L lnsert a sprig offresh parsleym lar aspossibleinto
the vrgina. Changerhe parsleyeven l2 hours.
Vhen soft, it may be difficult ro remov€,bur ihis is
2. At rhe sametime, drink p{sley infusions Gee
3. Drrring thcsc3 days,take hieh dosesof Vitmin C
orally. The idet dosaseis 500 milligrams ."..y
hour (6000 mg per day) for up ro 6 days.Vitamin
C can bring on nrensrruatjoneven threeweels aftcr
a "latc" period.You can bcgin taking Vitamin C
orally immediately after urui! rx.
Ifsuccessful,you should stan to bleedwirhrn two or
drrcedavs.You should know rhat:
0 You nay havc crampswhcn you firsr srartto bleed;
rakegingc infsions (p.1r2)m nmded.
0 Thar chmcesofthis nethod wori<ingare lower for
.rornen rvho reg-larly take high dosesof Vii;min
C.
0 That this rreatmentis not adviscdfor womcn widr
t-i J--.
^-^LL-_"
I{ o'rv to
Br ing on a
Period flsing
Ernrnenagogues
([.nmenagoguesare herbswhich encourage
menstmal flow by promoting uterine contracuonsl.
Th*. me,hod.rft no' r^ hc :' corraceprive..
'r'cd
The recipeshere usc more conccntratcd
combinationsofherbs and arc designcdto induce a
miscarriage.Theseplan* can be uscdifyou wish to
abort natumlly, but must be usedin the manner
.ndiuted hcre.We proridc rhe.crecip* bowins
that only a few women will be ableto usethem
undcr their optimal condidons.
It's important to know thar thc carlieryou usethese
herbs,the more effectivethey'li bc, but one
lt-

condnion is absoiurclynec€ssary: tou haveto be ar
the end ofyour rycle. This meanstiat they will nor
*ork rieht after ovul.tion, as it is not possiblero
.lirninaie the lerdlized eggbeforeit hasadheredto
rhe uterinerv:ll. Someherbssuch wild carrot seed
":
car be usedto preventthe fertilized eggfrom
arrachingitselfto the uterine wall G€ep.47).
You $ou1d begin drinking rhe teasthe night before
mensrruationis to begin;on that day, or up to 6
ttaysaftcmards-but noc larcrlYou may want to have
a pregnanrytest to verify whe*rer you are rea1ly
pregnantor not. Thes€Plarrtsare not toxic, but keep
In m nd ,\ | ifrhp/.ar .rr. c a m'"rrri,gc. \cv ,re
certainlyabletc, damagean cmbryo. Ifyou are sure
yoLrarc pregnanr,rnakean appohtment for an
.\.. .. . : , : . , L- , - --
Ifyou knorv you rre pregnanrand arc surerhar you
,nlo rermrnre rhc pr.bamry. a., r qui.lJy ,'
"
posible. \flomen who are awareoftheir cycleshave
greatestchancesofsuccess.These recipesare not
miraculous,btr ifvou do them earlr/enough,
chanccsof succeeding:refairly good.
Use only one of tne hllowing 2 recipes.
Emmenagogue recipe #1
lngredients
Mo*rerworr, mugi,'crr" goldensealroor,
blue cohoshroot, frcsh ginger root.
Pennyroyalcan be substitutedfor
mugworr, bowevcr,it is hard ro find in
nany prns ofCanada (especiaLly in
QLrtLec).
I lnfuse: 1/2 ounce (14 grams.)ofmothcrworr (a
medium*ized handful) md t/2 ounce (14 gr.) of
mug*on .r mcdiunr rzedh,ndful\ rn 2 or {.ur
boiling water;steepcoveredon low heat lor 20
mlnuresaod stf n.
2. Mal<ea decocion of I ounce (28 sr.) ofblue
cohoshroot ir 2 cups ofcold water. Simmer on low
hcat for 20 ninutes (covered)and strain.
'. Vr. rh. rntr.ion /iro n rcpllrnd'hcdeco,rion
(trom srcp2) togedrer.
Dosage
Drink hor, 1/4 cup, 4 to 5 times per day, or drink a
rotrl of t arrd 1/2 cups pcr day, taking a small
emount everyhour.
In addition
Take 2 goldenscalroot capsuLes 3 cimesa day; chew
on freshginger rnd/or drink as many ginger
infLxions(p.42) aspossible.
!rr. eqn
q.S
\ri ".+.'U Y,/
t8
I{eep in rnind
0 The inlusion tasresratherawful: add
0 Srop taking rhe mixture assoon as you
srarrblccding, or after taking ir for five
da1's*'ith no results.
0 Mosc women should begin menstruaringwithin 48
hours or so after beginning the rrearr;rcnt.
0 You should Lnorv drat rhescherbscm causc
lots ofrest is advised.
contractions.nd/or dizz-iness;
Thcl m-y.11."irrdu,cn.u.clnd/or .um;ri,,F:F'I
lightly.
0 Do rheserreatmentswirh a ftiend. They crn check
1,ourprogress,give support, masage,keepy".
a- . lu- c eeC_
C Pracricchasshown that the more advanccdth.
pregnmcy, the more severerhc sidc cffects.\re
stressonce again that this trcatmentshould not be
done more then 6 daysafter a mixed prriod.
0 Seenote important' following rccipe#2.
Emrnenagogue recipe #2
Ingrcdicnts
0 2 tablespoonsdried blue cohoshroot.
0 3 tablcspoonsdricd pennyroyalleaves.
0 2 tablespoonsdried tansyleavesand
flowcs (or lcrcs from rhe plmt in flowo).
Put the bluc cohosh root into 6 cupsofwatcr and
bring n ro a boil. As soon asn boils, rdcl the
remaining herbs,coverand removefrom hear.Let ir
sreepfor at least30 minutes.Srrainout rhc herbs
Jrd ,.h..,, d. I t-^it\ \-r.,-. :", 'o Jt- I ,::.
ashot aspossible,cvery3 to 4 hours for no morc
*rm 5 da1s.Drinking thn recipewhile sirtrngm r
hor bath ircreasesirs cffccrivcncss.
recipe#1 (sec
Side effecrs:sameas for ernrnenagoguc
IMPORTAN'I': Even though conplications are
very, very rare,ifyou experienceany ofd,e follo*ing
symptoms after usirg one ofrhese recipes,go to a
hospital immediarely:extremelyseverenausea,very
liigh,.,v., 1r0 .r0l dcgr"erF', lemorrh,gi,,g
(oaking through more thm 2 padsm hour for over
4 hou,,r. rn ,h.,, . :n.^npl,
-rn,..,"rirsr
(indicaredby passing"r,,
large blood clorsandror
hemorrhage),a tl & C (dilation and curcnageor
scrapingofrhc utcrinc wall) may be nccessary.
Emmenagoguerecipesrumbers I md 2 should not
be ured rogeLler.Y"e . n ra-kes:rrg- infu.ior.
1p.42)or earfreshtinger roor wf ile using
emmenagoguerecipe#2.
t)
Other ernrnenagogues
Tarsy leavesand flowers(p.46) carrbe taken in
rnfu.ionor r ncrurero bring on r mrscarriagc.
plarit helpsstimriate menstrualflow' Dosage:
Thi,
I cup
.linfu.i.ne"ery 2 hour. or 10 lsdropsofrincture
in warm *arer every 2 hours.
fennyroyal (p.44) can bring on a miscarriageby
causingLrtcrinccontractions.?reparean intusion of
pennyroyalicavesard drink it rs hot aspossible you
r dr rnk ir whilc .irringin r hor barh.Ma'rimum
dosage:4 cupsper day for no rnore than 5 days.A
teespoonofbrewer's yeastin eachcup hclps rncreas€
the effecrivenessofthis plant. Never ingest
pennyroyal oil; it is highly toxic and can cause
death (no jokel).
Note: Unfornrnatelypennyroyalis hard to find in
many parmof Canada,so grow your ownl
:chinesy.- dS
s h o uld Kn ow €;t
Make sureyou choosegood-qualirydried herbs.
V."ulizarionmd medir" ion help u.ins
"hcn
enrrncn,gogr.s, imaginerfe eggbcingdrdodged
6om the rrerrrsand then expelled.Having someone
massage or pressdown on your lowa abdomencan
hclp sdmulateurerinecontractionsarrd induce
Alcohol, sugar,nicotine and caffeineall interfere
with the body's abiliry to absorbherbs.Try to
minimize your intale ofthese substances during the
courseof thesetreatmenrs.
Drir k,,' of *rter *helr,ing oy of rhe recipe.
and herbslisted abovc.
Do not, under any circumstances, exceed dre
recommendeddosages.Once again,eventhough
complicationsare very, very rm, ifyou do
, <p,:icn.c ,ny or rhe toliowiaB$ mprom(.tf'er
u.ing rlr.e rc.ipc'. go ro " ho.pir:Jimmcdiarcy:
extremelyseverenausea,very high fcvu (103-104
dcgree0. hcmorrh.rging ("ak;ng rhroushmore
.l'"n p,a m horrrfor ovtr 4 hou'J. In rhe .sc ol'
an incompletemiscarriage(indicatedby passinglarge
blood dom ard/or hemorrhage),a D & C (diladon
and curettageor scrapingofthe uterine wzll) may be
Thewne Vonan Ilobalfo theChiAbeanryYtar Ey Susun
S.Veed,AshTrecPubli'hing,woodstockNw York
Vhilc desiered for rvomenwlo wantb havea bxby,the
Lr co c J "irh\"rr: n,r\od lor.vo:dngro
I n:nJ,:ng.- unw"nrcd D1"gr r-cy.Ard .houldv"u srr
'. dec;dc $ou J ik" ro.on(erve
-n neerour mind rcd "ou
rhr biookis a veryhelpfulguideto a hcalthypregnang' ad
childbnrh.
I ate Btk Yatrt tfe:A wnqn Guidto Ahon '
"
ProfaneLxistence
Hcahh Care,by Nicia nor' Grata,
Collecdve, P.O.8722,Minneapol;s, MIN 55408,USA
(Send$2 Us).
20
sfd'
&l t et ' f
^I
dhd ,t I'er,
#*ffiffi?wr"ffi
h s a good idea to go lor regulargynecologicalcheck
ups;ifa problem is diagnoscd,you can then decide
not ro tre.rtit with chemicalpiils or creems.Ycu
sho d Jso have Pap testsdone on a regularba-sis
(oncea year,in most cces).
Chemicalanribioticsare nor advised(especiallyiF
you vc alreadyraken them a nLrmberof times)
bccausethey tend to weakenthe immune systemas
well m yoLrrdefensesagainstother ill,csscs.
Though you rnay wmt to avoid medicaltreaoncnr,
clinicsoffcr testsfor the problemsmd STDs
mcnrionedin rhis section.Someoftheir symproms
arc very similar, and n's bestto determinewhich
STD you havebeforetreatingyoorseffwnh herbal
remedies.Certain STDs such as gonorrbeacan resuk
in pelvic inflamrnatorydnease(PID), inlenility and
other complicationsif lefr unrreated.lf these
rreatmenrsdo nor work for you, be surc to re a
good gynecologtr for mcdicaltrearment.
The treatmentssuggesred on the fo owing pagesare
plancbased:sonc ofthern are natural antibrotrcs
that strcngthcnthe immune systen to combat
disease or infection. Thn explainsivhy the
rrerrmenr,,.rnlr.rr
"rgrin,
lhe' ff- ,.n-,..
however,is high asthcseplantsclcanserhe body
whiJediminishnrg rhe chancesol:rcinfccrion.Even if
you're pretty sureyourve gotten rid ofdre
infection, get a test alier complcting m herbal
treatment just in ceseyou stitl have un<ictected
Get a hold ofa speculum.Ask your gynecoJogist; if
she'sc"ol, sh"'ll gi". you one. Examineyoursclfl\'irh
a mnror md a flshlight. ft's alwaysrvorth ir to vrsrt
a new prt ofyour bodyl Smell,tmte, touch. You'll
quickly be al'le to tell rvhrt s nor quire righr. Most
infectiors can be detectedbeforesymptomssuch as
vaginaldischargeand itching appear.Once you
becomefarniliar wirh the normrl, healthystarcoF
your vagina,a vaginalcxam using a specuiumallows
you to detectthe first signsofarr infecrion.You'1l bc
ableto spor parts ofthc vaginaor cervixthat are
redderrhar usual,or notice small red marks on drc
cewix. You can alsoget togelherwith lrieDdsand
checkeachotbcr ouc.This is a good way to comparc
arrd ercharge experiencc.The references provided at
provide
the end ofthis chapter sourcesof
inlormation on sellexaminations.
ti
Ifyou decideto taLechemicalantibiotics,you're
bomd to get a yeastinfection. Eat lots ofplain
natural yogurt (the kind with active bacteria) to
restorethe vaginas natural pH balance.Avoid acidic
fruits ad sugr. Vaginal yogun tablets or
acidophilustabletscan alsopr€venty€asrinGctions.
Or with the help of a specuium you can insen
yogurr into the v€ina using a small spoon or a large
"baby syringe" (onewhich doesn'thave a needl.
p.37). Red raspbenyleaftea (p.45) or yatrow (p.47)
can be usedto resroreequilibrium to the genitals
after taking antibiodcs. Take these lor a month or
\flhen consulting a physicianor gynecologisc, it's not
a bad idea to iind out ifit's absolutclynecessaryro
rrearyour condition ivith chemicalmedicine
(rnforrunarely,sometimesit is).Ask about
alternarives-sympathetic doctorswill understmd
Most doctors push artibiotics on us for eventhe
n"^, minor 1v.Ll.,n<.vrdpharmaceur.cal compui:r
make a huge profit from this. 1Wedon't have to
support th€m. Herbal medicinehasproved itselffor
centuries...md the choiceis yours.
lfyou havean infectior or STD, it's importaat that
both you arrdyour sexualpanne(s) follow *rese
$earmcntsar STDSare easitypa,ssed back and fonh
this will help you avoid reinfection after completing
a rreatment. Men can heal themselveswith these
rreatmen$by tahing tie herbsin infusion or
tincture form (referto speciflcnotesin tex$.
Keep in mind that practising safesex carr prevent
rhe trusmission ofmost STDS, and reduc€sth€
risk of reinfection after a trearment.
Crabs
Everyone,even smallchildren caa get crabs.They
r.e riny in.c,r likc crearurcrrh,r Ia1r-heirrgs<in
dorha, sofas,bedding and carpets.Crabs cannot
for more than 24 to 48 hours without a host
sr-rrvive
ro feedoffol lt's very important to destroy 6eir
eggsas well.
Syrnptorns
They itchl 'Ihe itchinessis concentratedin the
genirJregionrd ot-herhriry.uea.ofrhe body
reventhe eyebrow<).They :re small.and rheir eggs
)ook lile tiny brown dots at the baseofthe hair.
\71'at to do
0 Clorhes,towels,and bed linen should be wxhed in
hor *,ra:nd machinedriedon.r high setring.
Rugsand ..rpets should bc "quaantined" lxepr
out ofcontact) for 10 to 15 days,dependingon the
severiryof the invasion.
0 Thyme. red rhyme (more porenr) or hvendar
es'enri:loi.lsdilured;n oliveoil i2 ro J rexpoon. of
essentialoil for cvery5 ouncesor 142 ml. ofolive
12
oil) ca" be rubbed onto the infeaed areas(skin and
hair) and left on all night. \Cash offwith ,""p.
Repeatas nceded.Ifit's especiallybad, apply 3
dmes a day or more. Drink thyme inlirsions (p.46).
S cabies
Scabiesare tiny parasitesthat live ard leed tnder tle
our€rmostlayerofour skin, diggiry long furrows
where the female lays her eggs.
Syrnptorns
A-frcrm inc rbarionperiodofse"eralweek, ,, uLe
irchyspo,< appe;rduringrhe nighr.
\\ . "ill
,l':.e:t.n'u*es and^'p'eadsrcd
t\* \l*, 'he
\ \Y lIn.s. nmd\. berwe.nth€ trnger(.wa,rs,
I i dbo*.. armpn', LheeenirJ nea and ankles
are wnerescaDrcstcncrto h3!g our.
V/hat to do
0 Samerreatmentasfor crabs,rub affectedarea.
\rl
(;enrtal \i/ arts
'2flK*
Vhile they are often calledvenerealwarrs,you don r
nccc*arilygcr Ihem Grough sexuJronr:, r
V4rether it's on the cervix or on your finger, a wart
is a wart. \7ans calr disappearwithout rreatmenrbut
it's best ro take action early.Their presenceis said to
reflectsomesort ofdeficiency (vnamin, nutritional,
etc.). \?arts will often appearduring pregr,..y or
with vaginJ infecrionrand rendro disrpperr
aficrrruds.Cenitalwansofrenrc.cmblcordinaq
wartsand somerimesappcarto be shapedlike a
rooster'scrown with white dps. They cm grow
internally and exrernally,in the anat arrdgenital
'u?l at to
do
Doctors treat wartswith a toxic oeam, Podophyllin,
or by hrr,hcr mcrhods:c[.rrolysi<.liquid nirrogen.
Iaserrherrpyor \u'8ery.Ask lbr docrrmenrrrion.
Ahome remedyyou can usebeforeseekingmedical
0 Treat your immune sysrem:three wc€l$ of
echinaccaroot (p.41) followed by one week of
goldenseairoot (p.43). Also douchewith arr
infusion ofgoldensealroot once or twice a weeki
rhis is effectiveagainstitchiness.Do rhe treatment
for four weels; repeatif necessary after a threeweek
break.You can take tinctr:resinsteadofinfusions,
ar they are much more convenientfor long,term
0 You can alsorub a clove ofgarlic, cur in ha1f,
ll
0 Freshchickweed(p.40) is very effectivein
dissolving warts over an ertended period of sweral
months. Eat the fresh pla.rr or make an in6rsion
(p.34). The only way to get fresh cirickveedis to
p;ck ir youself-ir g'o-s aJJoucrthe.ig ,"d in rhe
.oLrnrry'ide {p.38t.lfyou car't find the freshplant
you carr take chicl:weed in tincture form
Take note: Valts calr be easilyspreadthrough hand-
to-genitalard genital-to-genitalcontact Some
t to warts man omerFyou
.houJdrale pre.audons, ,se condomor den,,l
"
dr- rr you .r your p*n ner r<infected:rry ro wzsh
your hmds beforesexuJ conracr.or (a.ndthis r<I
rough one) reduce hand-to-geniral conract.
\7omen who have had warts should ha"c Pap test
"
Herpes
) For more information about herpes,consult Ze
FIerpe.SimplexII is very<imilarro SimPld-l kold
..re. on rhe mouLhand lip<1.lr i. saidro affe.ronly
on an; pa;rcf
,1,.b..riLaircg;on.bur ir c:l Ce"relop
rhebodv.Tbe mov (ommon m€ansol (ransmrs<ron
i. g"nirJ-ro-genitai, onracr.rhoughhe.pesc:rl also
be p,scd from one personto ano$er duting mouth
o' iand-to genitalcontact.Lesiorlswill app€ar
beveen two to 10 daysafter exposure,or more,
accompaniedby a feverand flu'likc symptoms
S"me wome' *ill exoeriencean ourbreakinsteadof
the flu, beforeor aftJ. mensrruatins,and when
under stress.Herpesis a virus, whi& meansthat it
livesin your systemand can reappear.\Zomen who
have herpes mey want to avoid chocolate, nuts,
caffeine,sugarand alcohol in order to prevent
outbrealc Geebelow).
rWhat to do
Infrequent recurence (onceor twice a year)
T.Le eold..*J roorcaosuJ.s (p.+J)at rheonscrof
rhe orirb*,k and for r*o wtks rfterwards Reperrif
the outbreak.eocctrrs.
Very frequent recurrence
Th. :.,',n;.".ysr.- musrbe treaLed for: longtime
(up ro I year).'fake echinacearoot (p.41) Lrncilthe
oroblem is eone.Use a tincture to facilitate
ab.ororion.-A.orher eood rcmedvfor herpesis
g,rlici rale' i" crp"r,icso' r,bleri.TiIe;h;rh dor
(rz capsulesl rlie onsetofm outbreak
(charaiterized"rby a tingling sensation), and then
threecapsulesevcry4 hours for 3 days.It is
recommnded tLar vou maintain a dosaeeof4 to 6
.ro"o1." d"v fo. to a vear after the i-nitial
" Kyoli. "p
g".li. tabl.ts suggested asthey
*i"t-e"t.
"re
odor'
are easily digestedand have no
During the outbreak
Ta-kebaths,walk around naked (freshair driesout
.ore9. Apply whire Jay aad ler it dry sever:Jrime' a
d,yr chy liea-lsand hclps relievepain Resr'Rela-x
24
Diet
0 Crapesarerdr i<edlor rieir .vrri-,ir:1properr;c..
concentratedin their skins.
0 Bre"ers ye^r (rn rablcr').Reminder:this is not
adv;ed ro' re proneLoyeasl
"omcn "ho
infecdons.
0 Vitamin C, vitamin A" vitamin E.
0 Tal<e800 ro I 000 milligram.of lrsinedailylor
one to nvo weeks-not longer. You car repear this
treatment after two week'sbreak.
0 Try to undersmnd what dggers an attack stress,
depression. *hich ioods.clorhes.mensrruarron.
etc... and try to avoid what you can.
0 Avoid cotree,chocolate,nuts, sugararrd alcohol.
0 Take los ofgarlic (freshand in tablersor
New Our Bodiet Ozralzas, by the Boston l(romen's
\w Bladder & {Jrinary
I Infections
Symptorns
Having to peeall the time, pressurein the bladtlcr,
feelingthe urge to pec but nothir'g comes(or maybe
just rwo to threedrops), blood in the urine, dark
urinewir-ha vrong odor. Be c.rreful. rhe<esisnrray
be indicativeofa rnore seriousinfection such as
PelvicIn0ammatory Disease(PID). Check wnh a
doctor ifyou'rc not sure.
Causes
Imbalancein the intestinal bactcria,
wiping ftom back to front, nylon
underwear,chemicalfoms, suess,
cold, analpenctrationfbllowed by
vaginalpenetrationwithour clemire
rhe fingcrs,pcnis or sextoy in between.
'N7hat to do
0 For thosewho consisrendysuffer from this rype of
infection, drinking cranberryjuicedaily is a musr.
DrinI a sirccn oun.e glas'hourlyar rhe firsr.:gn'
ofan infection. This wiil usuallystop it in a couple
of hous. Continuedrinking 16 oun.cso{
.ranberryjuiccar lcxr rwicea day for prevenrion.
Ifnothing but water is availabledrink a sixtecn
ounceglassho"rly, ald make sureyou areCrinking
ar leasr6ight glassesa day after that.
0 Bearbery (alsocalledUvrusi, p.39) in intusion
or tincure is very good. You'll probably feellike
your bladderis going to burst but it's sureto get rid
ofthe infection.
0 Take yarrow (p.47) in inlirsion or tincture. g*1
x'))
7t
0 Trv a more alLalinedier comprisedoffruits,
almonds,leeks,rurnips and bidey. Avoid cotree,
rea.merr. u hite llour. sug:r ald acidgeneraring
foods.
0 In addition, take goldensealcapsules(p.43) for two
0 In caseofpain, eke ralerian (p.46) capsuJes
or
.:;i;;;.".
ffiffn^
ehbmydia ofrenoccur.wiuhoutl mprom, in many
women. Its presenceis indicated by an infected
cervix widr a yellowish color (checL with a
speculum),a burning sensationwhen urinaring artd
heary vaginal discharge. Chlamydia can also be
asympromatic...You can alsocontact chlamydiain
your rhroat during oral sex.Ifyou suspectthar you
may haveconrractedchlamydia,or ifyoule noc sure
ofyour symproms,have a tesr done. Ifgone
untreated over a long pciod of tine, dJamydia cu
lead to long-term complications lil-e PID =:ra
sterility. No joke!
V/hat ro do
Take echinacea(p.41) twice a week for 3 weeks.
Takc echinaceain tincture to facilirateabsorption.
Douche wnh a decoction ofechinacea,rwice a week
for 3 weeks.In addition, eat raw garlic or take garlic
capsulescveryday. Duration ofthe treatmenr I to 2
monrhs, dependingon the severityofthe infection.
After the treatment has ended have another res
done to rnake sure the infection is really gone. In
caseofsevereinfecdon treat with goldcnseal(p.43).
Waginitis & V';lwitis
This is a carch'all term for s*eral disorders:ycast
infections(candida),trichomonasand gardnarella.
Thesecondirions are inflammation ofthe vagina arrd
ofthe vulvi; they depend upon many factorsand are
nor causedexclusivelyby sexualintercouse
Spermicide,andbiorics,latex and perfurnedsoaps
car induce vaginitis or vLrlvirisin cerrainwomen.
Sensitivityto theseand orher irritants varieswith
cachand everywoman. Specificcauses:nd their
Yeast Infections r To treating
& Ca n d i d a + 0useonerer\poonofb,t .g."a, i""n.
This infection is causedby a yeastJikefungus (called
candidr)normallyfound in rhe vrgina.-l he vrginr
usuallyproteca againstinfection through ctre
production ofbacteria which maintain its natural
acidity. en this acidig' is altered,it allows
b,crer:asurh ascmdidr ro muJriplyin lrrge
numbers,causingthe i"fecdon.
Yeastinfectionsare nor considereda sexually
transmitreddiseasebut they can be transmitted
26
during sexr.ral intercourse.Ifyou havea yeasr
infection,penetrationofary sort (penis,sexcoys,
fingers) is not recommended (even with a conoo'n,
sinceit can aggravarethe iritation.
Vash your hards ald genitals alier ary sexual
contact with arr inlicted partner as it is very .ay ro
becomereinfectedthrough intercourseor hand to-
Causes
Neruomness, fatigue, pregnancy, heaq a sudden
change in your life, a new sexual panncr, stress,
vitamin B deficiencv,e.:rins
..
roo much -_b-
supr
. , : . .
w errrng ti ghr-l rl trng' or s],nrherrcl mdrrue l] - . . .
Antibiotics will often bring on a yeasr
infection rs they wipe out many of rhe
vagina s natural bacteria, allowing candida
to reproducein high nmbers.
@
Syrnptorns
Thick, white discharge wich a sweetishodor.
Itchiness of the v';I...acr in rhc vagina followeo ov
irrirarionard ,we|Jingofrhe labir. Ir ses *orse if
0 Plain natural yogtrn is very effective. Insert it with
a teapoon (usinga specuJum ifnecesaryt.V*r a
prd ;s rhe yoguri will flow out. Mal<e<urero use
unp,lui,rd yogourrconrainingIivc lactob;"illi.
I ou c:n so usevatLnar),ogourtcapsures.
Acidophillus capsuleswork wcn better;but as they
aresmall,you shoutdinsen sweral capsules(2 or 3)
into the vagina.They can be taken orally at the
samecime.Durarion ofrhe trearment 5 to l0 dar-s,
T- . : i . . i . , , . i ^ , ,^r- yogurtJ
-.-r--LI.... - ; ^ L . ,,, --.,..,",,..,-.,_,.
- "
to 4 timcs a day. "Baby syringes"will work wel to
- - -
inserryogun rnd areavajlable in drug'rores. Yogur
cu alsobe apptied u<ingLho,esadsersu<edfor
inseningrpcrmicidewnh .r dirphragm rhel,cm
sometimesbe bought separately.
0 Follow the garlic trearmentsindicatedfor
trichomonasbelow
Yeastinfectionsareoften asymptomaricin men.
Men ca;rgct rid ofyeast by rtbbing yogourt anoior
garlicon the penis everynight for 7 to 10 days.
itching
\\ r
cup ofwarer.Appryro rhe vurq a ntrd.d. | \*. \
Douchcwirh grlic /p.{2. $n mJy burn if \ Y
irritarionic <.'e,e)o' goldcn'el tp.zJ1.Trv\ I /
not to scratch.Acidic vagin3idouchessirh I
vinegaror lernon are alsoeffective.Use 2 teaspoons
in two cups ofwater. Douche twice a day for 2
days, then rxe the yogoun treatmeDt (abovc) For a
few days to rebalance the vaginal flora.
NB: Pregnantwooen should avoid douching.
27
Diet
0 Avoid acid-gencraring foods (citrisfruit, romatoes,
erc.),sugar,white flour. Iat foods rich in vitmin B
(drk leafi vcgetables).Eat largequantitiesof
yogourt and raw gnlic daily.
lf richornonas
This is a one-cellparasiticorgnism, olien
transmittedduring s*ua1 contactor by humid
'-ndi,;^, F,.qJ.n. r. r.-re'rce.trer rer Ln,ar'on.
Abundant yellowishdischarge,
"i"hy" smell,itching; sm:ll
""pleas,r"t
..d dots on rhe on the
"agi.,1w"1ls -d
cenix (viible with the speculum);
rhreadlike secretions,some mes foamy;
irritation around the vulva and the
openingof rhc vagina.
rX4rat to do
0 Garlic clovescan be inserrcdin thc vagina,uy ror
ni.k the.lo'c wl,cnpcelirrgir. \r('r:pit up in a
'.
cheeseclorh or gaure (you car leavea "mil,' which
can rhen be ued for e.sy removal, rnuch like a
rampon),alrd dip n in olive oil or almond oil to
avoidirritating the mucous membrane.Changethe
clove2 to 3 times a day fbr the frrst two daysmd
rhen onceh rhe morning md once at night for 5
ro 6 days.Men can drink garlic infusionsor take
g:rlic rablcrs.
0 l-akegoldensealcapsules(p.13) orally. Do dis
rreatmentlor two wcckr. Accompmy rhis
rrcarmentwith vaginaldouchesofthe infusron,
oncc a day (p.37)-this getsrid ofthe itching.
Rcduccthe lrequencyofdouching for the second
Gardnarella
S)'*Pto'.'"
Greyishvaginal dnchargewith a
srrongsmcJl.
'What to do
Samerrcatncnt aslor trichomoms.
Bacterial Infections
& GonorrLea
Theseproblemsindicatc that thc immun€ systemhas
r" be..rio.r.lyrrclcd rnd builLup. Bcparientthc
rr..tments can bc long. Theseproblemscan recur
irequ-rrlyafrelhe fir'r arra"kr.r'. bcrrcrro gcr rid
of them for good.
Syrnptorns
Vcry lighr grryish.ecrerion..r.rrible.mcll. irir,rjon
or itchinessofthe vulva. Often occurswithour
28
V4rat to do
0 Echinaceadecoctionor rincture (p.41) for 2 to :t
months, accompiniedby a vaginaldoucheofrhe
decoctionI to 3 times a rveekuntil the vaginai
dischargeand irching have disappeared. Do not
douchetoo ofte". Take valerian(p.46) to relicve
discomfortifnced be.
0 Echinacea(p.41) fof 3 weeksfoltowedby
golderxeal(p.43) for I week.It is recommendeil
that you take theseherbsin tincture form to
faciliratetheir absorption.Tal<ea one-weekureatr
and repeatthe sarne'patrern" 2 more times. Do
rhis with your parrner.
di Dou(hewi,h sojdensear a neededir Lhere
,4'f- i' a lo( ofdis.hargcand ir.hine*. \'alcrian
.hS tp.tr(,)relinr. di\omfon a. needcd.
'i , .
0 Douche wirh waccrand clay: put 6
ablespoonsofwhite clay ilto a pint oflulewarm
water.lrt the day setdeat the boftom ofcontaher-
Do not stir. Use enoughwatcr to dou;he- ith, do
this oncea day or as neededfor 5 days.Avoid metal
utensilswhen using clay.
Douching with claywater hasprovedto be effective
in healingmost typesofraginids.
#
0 In caseofgonorhea or syphillisyou'd
be well advisedto consult a
naturopath,herbalistor homeopath,
md ifnecessary,a gynccologist.
Remember,though you may want to avoid medical
treatment,many clinics offer testsfor the problems
and STDs mentionedin this secrion.Someoftheir
'i-.' " u,l i, . h".' '^ de:eraile
which STD you havebeforetreatingyourselfwith
herbalremedjes.Cerlain STDs suchas gonorrhea
can resultin pelvic inflammatory disease(PID),
iniertiiny and other compiicationsifieh untreareci.
Ifthese trearmentsdo not woi< for 1'ou,be srrreto
seea good gynecologistfor medicalreatmenr.
fohpe, itc synptom.:nd diagno.j,.inl'ormarion on
using a speculum,consuft Thc New Our Bodies,
ourselrs (Updzted and Expandedfor the 90t) by tne
BostonVomen's Health BooL Collecrive.
TabeBach Your L{e: A \u;nnen': Guide to
Abematiue Heabh Care, by Alicia non Grara.
Publishedby PrcfaneExistence(addressin
"InterestingReading"sectionon p.{8).
f 2'
Tfl*CIv
4t"
dnd-r
i et
TA
#
p rrl El"wc
Owarian Pain
This Lrsuallycomesbetweenthe tOrh and l5th day
ofthe cycle,counting from the onsct of
menstruation.A sharppain on either or both sidesof
rhelowerabdomermcrn. rh,r rhe eggi. being
releaed d.lficulry.Thi. c, r also.:u.e
".rh 'potting.
ile theremay be internal inilammation, rr rs
usuallytensionthat causespain.
0 K.ep . hot wate' bottle on thc lower abdomen
0'iake an infusion ofginger (p.42) or red raspberry
leaves(p.45) or cdery sced(p.40) or valerian(p 46)
for pain ifneed be.
0lmproveormodifrlourdtct (ee 'ugg. tronsin
tlie seciio.,s"PiamenstrualSyncirome, p 7 and
"Dysmennorheaor Paintul Periods",p.9).
Owarian Cysts
Medical sciencetends to over-dramatizeand
rr) too ofrcn treatscystswith surgery.Cystsare
quite comrnonand in somewomen they
t appearregularlydrroughout the courseof
rheir mensrru:l rydes. Tiny at first, they become
hrger during *re cycleand then d<rese in size.The
mosr conmon sgns ar€ scverepaln, urme retenuon,
discomforraroundthe anuswhen drirting ard
Ntl: Cyststhar do not go awayna7- requirelong-
r..- reatment, and.'.n medicalaacnrion, as they
cm becomemalignant;thn is especiallytrue of
V/hat to do
0 A diet basedon raw vegetables cornbinedwith
daily excrciseencouragesc1'srsto dissolve.
0 Red raspberryleaftea(p.45) raken fo.3 to 6
monrhrimpr.vc' rheoveralls ateof thc o"arie'
nd reorrce'inllnm,rion o'.ys's rhecau'erhey
tste good, rxpberry leavesarc easilytaken for long
periodsof rime).
0 Ifthe cystsare reallybotheringyou, take 3 capsules
of cayennepepper(p.40) ev..y d"y, asweli as
intusionsofyarrow (p.47) for 6 weeks,
acconpaniedbv intusionsor tincturesofred
raspb.iry leavei.Do this treatmentas nc.d.d.
0 Chickweed(p.40) in rincture fonn is very effective
for dissolvingcysts,espcciallyova-riarr
cysts,when
rakenover long periodsof time.
0 CheckrhequJ ry ol your dge.rion:in c.riral
oroblcm'r'uch a. ear consripationlre ofren
coniuseclwirh pdn rrom-d cysts.
30
0 For pain: r.aierian(p.46) in tincrure asneeded.
0 lFp.rinper.i*<seer h"meop,r\ or a rarurop
'rF.
or seekmedic:l amention.
Fibroids
in the (Jterus
Most ofthe dme rheseare benign, but thi:y do have
a rendencyto grow largerduring the cycle.Afrer
menopausethe tumors usuallydiminish alrd
disappear.Twenty to rhirty per cent ofwomen ovcr
the ageof30 have flbroid tumors. Somerimesa
vigorousexercisingprogram will gct rid ofthern. If
the fibroids grow fasr,arc large and painful p.cs
",
on the bladderand rhe colon rhey must be surgically
removed.Aside from exceptionalcases,this docs not
mean that a hlsterectomy is neededbut rathera
myecromy-rhar i'. rhe fibroid rumor Jon. i,
V4rat to do
0 Try cleansingyour geniul organs(p.32).
0 Stimuiatebloocicircularion by taking cayenoe
peppercapsules(p.40) and rry rhis dnsdc nrerhod:
sit in a nb ofcold water cverymorning for 2 to 5
minutes (or evenlonger ifpossible).
0 A dier rncorporaringlor. ofraw vegerrLle,is
0 vslefian (p.46) asneededtor pain.
0 Be patientl
Varicose Veins
on the Cerwix
Visible wirh a speculLrm,thev are thin, purpie,
spindlyvcins which resemblevaricosevejr,soii thc
leg<.Thel rcndto bc paintul beforemen rru"rior
'What
to do
0 Cayenncpepper (p.40) for thc rholc morrh or rhe
few daysbeicre menstruation.
0 Vitamin E (nu$, bran, wheat germ) and vrtamrn
C.
I{orrnonal Irnbalance
You may expcriencea;r hormonal imbalancedue to
menopau.e.rakingrhe pill. losinglargeam.o-unrr
of
weightandseriou stress.
Hormoneimbalances
canresultinr
0 Mnsedperiods.
0 Unusuallyshon or longperiods;
unusuallylight or hearyflow.
0 An extremelylong or short menstmal cycle(eg.,
gening your period every 10 ro 21 days,or evcry35
to 42 dayO.
0 SeverePMS or heary cramping beforeand at rhe
onsetof menstruation.
3l

rr-B:Someor all of theseslmptoms may be present
in women *'ho go offthe Pill-sometimesfor up ro 6
V4rat to do
Use a combination oflicorice root, red raspberry
leavesand rosehips:
I. lr{ake a regulardecoction(p.35) using 1/2 ounce
licorice (14 sr.) and 1/2 ounce rosehips, in 4 cups
2. Make a regularintusion (p.34) usins 1 ounce (28
gr.) ofred raspberryleavesin 2 or 3 cupsofboihrg
:1.Srrainaj1dmix the nvo preparations.
Dosage:t/4 cup 3 times a day. Do this treatment for
6 weeks;stop for 3 weeksand smrt againasneeded.
,Alr easierway is to use all these planm in tinctures,
availablein healthfood stores.Tale 5 to 10 drops of
eachherb tincture 2 to 3 times a day.
Other, more elaboratetreatmenrsare availablebut
are roo long to list here.
Diet
Lat seaweedregulaly or take in kelp capsul* c"-y
d"v.
Cleansing Your
Genitals
The follownrg herbscleanseour genitals
rvhcrecysts,adhesions,fibroids, etc. take retuge...
'fhn combination ofherbs w;ll help in casesof
painful, irregular,overly heary or absentperiodsand
sometimes,infertility.
rWhat to do
Preparean iniusion with yarrow, red raspberry
leavcs,and freshgingo root (gratem inch or nvo of
sinsef). Use 1 ounce(28 gr.) ofred raspberryleaves
,.J1. ^'nrf . f..,.,-.,"17))n,l"inpe, in6ro8
cupsof*n... Dosage:1/2 cup 3 times a day. Also
rake 1 capsuleoicayennc pcppcr (p.40) 3 rimesa
d.v
Follow rhis treatmentfor 6 weeks.Consideringthe
facr rhat clrosing is a slow process(it rakesar ieast
asmuch time co clemseourselvesasit took for the
systemto clog stop the ueatment for 3 weela
"p),
and srarragainlor a 6 week period as needed.
llcre againwe can make n easieron ourselvesby
taking rhe herbsin tincrure lorm (5 to l0 drops of
eachplant, 2 ro 3 rimes a dal; cornbinethis with
iniisions ofginger (p.42) or eat thc fresh grated
0 Drink lots ofwater with all ofthese treatn'..u.
Again, other, more elaboratctreatmmx are available
but aretoo long to list here.
For further reading
\YxcVonan Hobaffor thcChidbearihgY.dr,by SBM\Xtee,l
32
t8l l l
lAfkro dislar y f f i
@F NJ
are spices.Theywork on the erogenouscennesby
.:'1 rns ,n rnren.eflo r or blood ro rheper.ph.'.l
orsar.. *h ch in,u,n lcrd. ro ,,imulr .o' .
'cxurl
Bc,u.cof Lhrir.rrong-rom, :ndrhe in.r.rc i'
cnergrpro'ided.'pi.e<excite,ensorJper'cprior, .
Dc0nitely worth rryingl
Cinnarnon (stick or powder forh)
sork 20 gr. otcinnanon in onc liLreofq eerq ir,
for 10 days arrd drink two small glassesevery day.
Simmer 20 gr. of cinnmon with a few clovesfor 15-
20 minutes in one litre ofgood red wine; sweeten
wnh honey and drink I cup as desired.
Ginger
Grate a good quanriry ofthe ftesh roor, add to water
and simmer covaed for menty minutes. Drink a
.nr,ll ,:p ri"r mcJ'. lhr< aJ,. rmpr"'- d;g-
'rorr.
Clowes
Mix halfa rerpoon of powderedcloveswirh honey.
Use it like jan.
Infuse 2 or 3 clovesin one cup ofboiling water.
Steepwenty minutes. Drink 1 to 2 cupsper day.
Steep2 to 3 doves in one cup ofgood hot red u.ine
for a few minutes;add some lemon rind, cinnamon
and a pincb ofnutmeg.
Rosernary
Sreepone hardful in boiling water. Drink 2 to 3
cups everyday.
trfuse 50 gr.ms of ieavesmri brmchcs in I iitre oi
dry white wine for 10 days.Drink 2-3 small glasses
San'ory
lnfuse one handful in boiling water; drink 3 cups per
d"v.
For very efftcientresults,poLrr4 to 5 drops ofsavory
essentialoil on a pieceofsugar. Take everyday or as
Chinese her bs
Ginsengand royrl jelly are also aphrodisiacsard
Avail"bl.irnd lc* expenrrvein t hine.e
'onic,.
herbalstores,ginsengis usedin Chinesemedicine to
strengthenthe elderly and is alwaysusedcarefull)'.
Seekadvicelrom the salesperson.
NB: Ginsengis commonly uscd for men, royal jelly
JJ

Hvw To DTPpA.l*1|t
-:
I 'n l] &u[t
f r hd use ' het.$sry
P*p*el*l"r*,r*;;"+*-.-..r"3,F
.r rc,, preparirgherbalir'iu-ion'md d.corrion.
for rnedicinalpurposes.Avoid using pots, pans or
utensilsmade ofaluminum. Go lor enamelrco,
sninlessstcl or glasspots with wood utensils.Use
'ilreredonpr.ng w;ter ior moreporenrpotions.
Note rhar rhere are severaldifferent ways to prepare
infusions,decoctions,tinctures,etc. Opinions on
llhar constirutesan infusion or decoctioncarrrary
from one herbal thenpisr or pracritionerro another.
\,'t,r ue h.rvechorento do is to providcrhc erriesr
mcthodsofpreparation, while ensuringpotent alrd
effecriverreatmenrs.These are good for &ied herbs,
use slighdy more wlen they ue fi*h.
Ifyou do want to turther exp)orethe subjectofplant
preparation,consultthe "Herbal Pharmacy"section
ofeirher ofSusun S. weed's two t'ooks Gee
'lnterestingReading"p.48). They are excellent.
Regr.rlar infrrsion :tf
lor most flowers,leavesand stems ES
A very basic method
2 cupsofboiiing water per 1 ounce (largehaldfrn)
ofhsbs, leavesor flowers.This is good for &ied
hcbs, use slightly more when they ae fresh.
Add plant material to boiling water; removefrom
heatmd cover.Infuse (sreep)for at least20 mrnutes
NB: This method is more effectiveas it extr:crs
more ofthe plant s medicinal propcrties.
Use 2 ounces(2 largehandfuls)ofthe plaot pans for
e"ery4-5 cups ofwatcr used (or I ouncc ofplant per
2-3 cupswater).
Ilring the water ro a boil. Put the plant material in a
n*on (pickling) jar. Pour the boiling water into the
jar over rhe plant material;try to leaveaslitde air as
posible. Screwrhe lid on tighdy. Let it steepat
.oon remPerarure:
0 for flowers:2 hours
0 for leaves:4 to 6 hotrs
0 for llower and leaves:4 hours
0 for seedsand beries: 30 minutes
0 for roots and barL: 8 hours or overnight
Srrainthe infusionwhen it is rcady.
(NB: roots, bark, berriesarrd seedscan alsobe
preparedas decoctions;seebelow).
Nevcr boil infusions,evenwhen reheatingthem.
Boiling destroysthe potency ofthe plants.
Intusionscall be preservedin the liidge for 2-3 days,
in tightly cappedjars. This way you can prepare
them in advance,and reheatthem asneeded.
34
Decoction for r oots & bar k s
I ounce (nedium handful) ofdried root or uart
.
lai'
.<,1
Cove! and simme. Glowly) for 20 minutes. Do not
boil. Strain. Can be kept in fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Roots arrd bark c:n be soai<edin the same amounr or
water overnight,beforesimmering; this incrcases
Decoction for ber r ies & s eeds
Grindlighdy
Use3 teaspoons
for eve.y: ."p' of-"t.. ffi
Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Do not boil. Srrain
anddrink 3 cupsper day.
Norrnal dosage (adults)
for infusiom md decocdons
For intusions: 1/4 to I cup, 3 to 4 times a day
(unlessspecifiedothevis.); dosagesfor e.ch
individual plart are speciied in the chaprer"Herbrl
P.^-"*i".,.,.t f)^...".
l-ordecoction':.r ounce./l /4 .upr J Lo rime<"
'
day (unlessspecifiedo*rerwise);dosaseslor each
individual plaat are specifiedin rhe chaprer"Herbal
It is recommendedto take the herbs 6 daysa week,
for a paiod of 6 weeks.This processcm be repeated
sevcraldmes (unles specifledothemise). Vc haveto
keep in mind that everyone'sbody reactsdifferenriy
to herbs (accordingto weight, agc,erc...)To adapt
to our needs,we can slightly decrest or increaserhe
qumtities arrdduration ofthe rreatments.Use your
Tinctrrres
fincturescontainrhe alkJoid prrr' of plan,.
'he
;q alcohoi,aoorc
crrra,rcd rd prcserucd r ici""
.l- u'n.e", o, er;c.,i,.. A. u'.(vrr" ..;;""-.d
I herbalextracts,they remarn porenr tor a iong
ltime, can be carriedand ingestedeasily,are easy
- ro p'eprr artdr.r qur,ldy. I heyare,old in
herb storesand health food stores.V/trile tinctues
may seemexpensiveto buy (their pricesrarge from
$9 to $14 per dropper botde), drcy lasra very long
time; considerthe fact that antibiotics can cost
anyr-r'here from $20 to $60 a bottle, for a 7 day dosel
Tinctures re useddiluted in warm water {abour 15
drop. in r lirrlebir ofr:rcr. J rime' : dayr.
To rnake your own tinctures
Tinctures are surprisinglyeasyto make.
0 Always uselresh plant material: flowers,srems,
0 Dried roots can be tsed but are not as potent as
fresh ones.
li
 I .. dru n^on lp.clJing'irr uir\ " rigl-r-
- .le:n.
firring Jid-it's not a bad idea ro boil ir first, ro make
surc iis serile (1crit dry out completelybefore
". i g.o rr r:rc u.c Donorrv-horin.eoLl
mareriai.Freshroots can be scrubbedor pec{cd.
e ,..-y.l- p 'hc DJ r' o'11,.pl,,rr vo.lx" u<i ng
(xnh rhe exceptionof small O"*er"). Fill ch. ja'
righr up ro the top. For dried rooa: use2 ounccs (56
gr.) in a 500 ml (halflitre) jar. Fill rhe jar wirh grain
il..h.l ("hi.h c"n be hard to find) or use45 %
vodka or alcohol.Voclla dncturestastebetie! but
.rlcoolis rnuch ch*p* (v"u call sharethe costsas
*cll as thc finished tincturc mong friends).
Usea krife to dnlodge any air bubbles.Makc sure ro
fill rhe jrr to rhe top; rry not to leavelrry air (this can
''l$rabour I.up ' a body 'emperlre. Do r^-
.po;lLl errn.rure)bLrrdonrw.rq it'her', rn'
bir ofair left.
r'a( rr . hr,r, .r.righrly,rrpo..ibic.t rbcl rhe i"r
d" i,h rhe n.,meol rhe pLrr urd,nd rhe drre.
I VJe one r inc'u-c ior cr' h plm: y"r r e u.ing.
I r"cq re*d 1.;rver,crhe j,rriru rime..:rore
rrom d,rect(unrtnt.
*,$r)
e/ I Fe r rr,crur. will Le re .dy ir' 6 wce\,.\trhe,riL .
ready,srrain,squeezeand discardrhe plant parts.
Storeyour tincturesin sterilizedbrown glassbonles,
awayfrorn lighr and in a cool place.
Brown glassbotdeswith droppersca be bought in
somehealth food stores;theseare Lrsedto measure
rh- do.agc U e onll gL* dropper..r. pla.ricone'
can bc casilycontaminated.
Uscful rincturesro keep on hand are:valcrian,
cchlnacea,licorice,yarrow...
a in manypharmacies.
L a p su le s \)
, i l:. u\cs:Ju:J pJwdered \!rb. /c,.
,,.i.nn. p"pp.,.q.ng., -,
l v., ."r l,y.-y,iy
,f
g . l .r .n.,p'u lr . L iz<rl0 Lobeprcj'e),r herrh )
r " o do r I cr h.,^r ,.,, d nll rh.m up y"ur.elf, I
,hn Lschcrpcrthu buyingthe rerdy'madeones.
E s s e n ti al o ils
. a , F. cn r ir Jo r lsor;rom:,ic,..en.crarcsubrarrc '
49 ^,',c,.d fromcerrainplant by di'rillar i"r .r
q B' " .'.i .'. r h eesen.e'.lre di*"lvrd in oil. T h . y
rr ,old in healh f"oJ,nd herL,,rores.
"rc
Poulti ce
A poultice
rlticeis essenriallycmshcd plant material,
applied externallyto rhc infectedarea(eg.
sores,cuts, burns...). For freshplants, chop or
grarcrhe pl"nt mar€rialajld apply it direcdy
to the :rffecredar.a. Dried plants:pour
boiiingwater ovcr the plant, cover and
sork for halfan hoLrrto 4 hoursGee
infusiond. Stranr,then sque€zethe water out arrd
.pply them to the aFcctedareas.You can alsowrap
po"ltices in a thin layer ofgauze beforeapplying
The liquid can be tsed as arr infusion or a soak Gce
bclo*l.
36
'S7-ash (also called a soak)
L,.,..r ir i.i r . ::r r r ' ' .F.\
ls
i f..'l;'t j;j ".'%''
1",i.'."J.i.
:":;t:1.
direcdy ln the wash,or dip a clea,rcloth into dre
washmd apply n wherevernecded.
Paste
A pasteis made by miing the powderedhcrb (eg,
goldensealroo$ with a small anlounr ofivarff. lh€
pasteis then applied externallvto the affectedarca.
Vaginal douches & "sitz" baths
#'\ 38,rrldor.h. Li,.r. ,oldin Jr .g, - .
u{fl Dou.hc qr r o inru r"n "r "ons o.,o 1,on
"'over-usevaginaldouch* as rhn cm disturb rhe
I h,-,. -i . t --".,., .^ _. hould
"
not Lrscdouches.fhe doucheswe mention h rllis
bookler ue medicinal douches;avo;d scenred
douchs sold in pharmaciesfthe kind d,at male yor
'smdl bener') astheybavebcenlinkedto Pel'ic
lnfhmmatog' Discasc(PID).
IMfOR-|ANT: Always douche gendy; douchlng
lorcetully can worsenalr infection bv forcrngn up
inco your uterus,which carrthen causePID.
For malc genitals,soakthe infectedarea.
"Baby syr inges "
Theseare reladvelylargesyringes(abouran inch in
diameter)with an opcning at thc rip thcy do nor
h.vcancedc. ll-1.,rrb.u'-d lo, i,, ", ;.")oF,,'
into thc vagnraor lor douching. Thev cur be found
i.iotes
Cenain infusionsand dccoctionsdo not rastev€ry
good,add h^n-v .r l"rnon.Vo r prep,r"r
"n.
should be ral<enwrm unles speclfiedoth:o"se For
long'tom umrments, rememberrhat tincture: are
Most ofthe plarrrsmentioned in rhis booklet gro*
in Nonh America and are thereforeavailablebotli in
the city and in the country, aswell asin rnanyherb/
healrhfood stores.Keep in mind drat herbsare not
drugs bur foods.They provicienourishmentfor rhe
body to heal nse[. Although someherbsare not to
be taLen during pregnancy,there re genoaiiy no
side effects.h is a normal reaction,however,to havc
lessofu appetiteand/or lighr diarrheadunng a
treatment.You may haveto urinareoften. Alrvays
drink lots ofwater during a trcatm.nt.
You should J'o nor Lh"rfre.h herb, -nd Linc r--
are more potent than drGd herbs,evenwell'
Don t hesitateto seekhelp from expcnsin your area
and remembercenain chronic prol:lens or acure
condnionswili need more elaboratetrcat"-'..
w o
T i( k"n
u y r wh
,4
q
lrr[ .>
easilylound growing in the countryside;many of
rhem are also commonly found in gardens :rrd
crpry loLsin r\e ciry.Chmomile. chiclveed.red
.xpberry le."es, tansy, wiid carrot seedarrd yarrow
amo"g rhe most arrd easiestto spot.
"'. "bundant
Picking your own herbs givesyou the advantageof
gening the freshestherbs possible,:rllowingyou to
prepare your own tinctures arrd dried herbs, a-ndit
cm also saveyou money.
However,if1-ou do mnt to pick youi own herbs,
rhereare a f.w thi"gs you shorid know:
0 Someplants arepoisonousand evendeadly if
ingested(for example,wild carrot seedis easily
confusedwith poisonhcmlock which can be f.tal).
You sirould be i00o/osurethar rtrc piancyou are
plcLing is rhe one you reallywartl Unlessyou've
donerhisbciore.ir. besrro goon,'field rrip"
with someonewho knows their stuff, in addidon to
. on. rlrirg a fieJdguidcbool ,o hclp you re.ognire
end idenriff plants.Get to know someofthe
different plantswell; take note ofhow they look
and smcll beforeyou embark on picking anlthing.
Ifyou're everunsure,evenslightly, don't ta-ke
chmces.Always take a field-guidc book with you.
0 Be respecful. Never pick more than l/3 ofthe
planrsarailab1e...
this ensuresthat thcy'll come
backthe folJowingyear.
0 lt's 1ir better to pick plants in rhe courtry rarher
rhan the city. Ifyou must pick'em in the city, get
rhem from parks or empry lots locat€d far from
, .rd. b, *".ring;-- rime-
"J.rn'l*y"" 'nry
plantslocatednear roadwaysare high in lead and
orher contamnunts.
0 Rcadup on the subject.Know when to pick thc
plan* and plant parts you need.For example,roots
arebesthanestedin the fall, flowers right after thcy
For further reading
ThelVne WonenHzrbal: Healing Wie,
by SusunS. \feed.
PetersonField Guilet to Met;cinal Pknts
lHor-rghron M;iflin Company)a'e *ceJJenr
for identifying plar.rts.The one we use here
in Ontario and Qudbec rs t\e Eastcrn/&ntral
3zl1z. Other guides to Nor*r Arnerica and
even Centrai and South Amedca are also
available.
A Citl Herbal, hy Maida Sil.rcrman,1977. Knopf.
Lxcellentfor ciryherbpickingl
38
'l^bl#'tt':!
ffin'4
W--r
The Englishmd Frenchcommon names(eg,
bearbery in Erglish: busserolein French)ofthe
plantsare provided,asare their Latin names(eg,
A'trostaphvlostva u,l. \e'hen bLryingh.rbs. al$ay.
ral<enore ofthe Larin nameofrhe plmr you needr
rhis will cnsurethat you get exacdywhat you're
lookingior. lr al,o hclpfrl for buyingherhs in non.
'
Englishor Frcnch,pealingregion,or counrrin.
You shouldknow that consumingcaffeine,mcoune,
alcohol alld sugarinterfereswith the absorptionof
plmr m:reri.l1.rrraminsand mineral..maI;ng rhe
treatments lesseffecrive. Try to limit your intake of
rhe.e.ubsLrn.clqhcn u'ing hcrbalremedie..
Ifyou buy herbs,mal<esureyou buy good qualiry,
well p'esewrdd,;ed he!b\.D-i.d hcrbsremain
potent for abour 12 months. Storethem ir brov.'n
paper bagsor dassj*s, in a cool, dark place
Commcrciallysold herbsshould be colorful ard
aromatic.Buy herbsthat havenot beensprayedwith
pesticidesor other chemicals.Consult the resources
secrionfor a list ofreliable herb stora and mail-
order disuibutors.
NB: \Vhen we talk about using the whole plant, we
mean the stems,leavcsand flowers;this doesnot
Bearberry (uva-uisi)
ArtostaVhyks uu-ursi 0 t>rss*ole
Bearberryactsspecifically on the genital-uinary
system.lle useit to treat the prosrate,cystiris,thc
kidneys,bladdcr inflmmation, uterine and laginal
Infrrsion: Make a regularinfusion (p.34); take 1/2
cup, 3 ro 4 rimesdailn
Douche: Use an intusion at body tempcrarure,once
d"y.
"
Blu e Co h o sh Ro o t
Cattkphlllun thalntroidts 0 actie bleue
Blue cohoshis usedto treat amcnorrhea,
dysmenorrhea,mginal inflmmadon, slow or hafted
contractions(during childbirth), nervousness,
exhaustionard spsmodic cough (asthma,
bronchitis,whooping cough).Do not useduring
PregnaJlcy.
Make a regulardecoction(p.35). Take 1 tealoor !o
I rablespoon,3 rc 4 times a day.
For amenorrhea and dysmoothea: 1/4 cup of the
hot decoction,3 times a day.
Spasms:Takc strongerdosesor ingestmore often-
J'
 C ay enne P e p p e r
Capncun futescen: A poivre de cayenne
pan used:ftuit
Cayennepepper(alsoknown ascayennepowder, as
ir most oiien comesin powdercdform) is a
sdmulanc,a tonic, an asringent, a blood-cleanser
ard an anriseptic.It inducesswearingalld is
excellentfor blood circulation,to stimularethe
herrr, cleanand restoreclasticityto the veins arrd
arteries,regulateblood pressuredd lelieve
congcsdonin the mucus nembrmes. Cay€nne
soorhesmd healssoresin *'e stomachand intcsrinal
rissues.It stopsboth internal arrdexternalbleeding
md accelerares coagulation.Cayenneis effectrvern
. ofano.eriaand liverconge.rion. Ir..r,r hclp
"se.
y"u . ,y aw-l" l"r longperiod orrime.sirgive.
encrgy.It:1so strengrhensthe immrrne sysrcmand is
exccllcnrfor coldsmd mrhma.
Male sureto buy medicinalcayennepepper;the
kind that is usedfor cooking hs beenro.itcd,
making it loseirs therapeuticpropefties.Consult
your local herb srore.
for colds:l/r to t rea.poonin hor w.rrer.J rimc.
dai\'(veryhor).
Capsules:i/4 to I reaspoonin a capsuletal<enwirh
a hot beveragc, 3 rimesper day.
C elery Seed
Aptun grarnhuA grzinesde cileri
Celeryseedis a diuretic. It will loiver high blood
pressure,rclieveheadichesand nervousness.
Infrxion: Grind [ghdy and put 3 teaspoonsin 3
cupsofcold wrter. Cover and simrnerfor 20 m;n.
Srrain.DrinL hor, 3 cupsdai)y.
Charnornile
Mattnarla chanon;lla ot Maticarza rccstu
0 camornille
Chamomile is a ,cdarivefor rhe nerves.nd a roni.
for the intestincs.lc is usedfor ear aches,tooth-
aches,lor dow or dificult digcstion,insomnia and
rhc flu.
Inftrsion: l/2 ounceofflowcrs, in 3 cups ofwarer.
'I'ake 1/2 to 1 cup, 3 to 4 dmes a day.
For colds: I/4 teaspoonofcayennepowder in I cup
ofcharnomile intusion;add honey. Drink hot, 4 to 5
Chickvveed
Stelkria nezlia 0 cera:srcvd,gnre
pan used:whole plant
ChlcLweedis found in abundanceall over the
countryside and city. lt is an expector.nt, a laxative,
relievcsgasand colic, helpssoothemd protect
mucuousmembrancs,and promoteshealingboth
externally and internally. F'reshchickweed car
Ji..olve* u r'; in rinctureFormir i, efferriv. in
dissolving rysts, especially ovuiar cysts. The leaves
can be made into a pouldce (p.36) or wash(p.37) ro
treat externalinlectionsand irritations, including
pinL'eye.
rnfusion: Make a regularinausion(p.34). Drink l/2
cup,3to4timesaday.
For constipation:Take I cup ofthe intusion every3
Tincture: 15 to 20 drops in a glassofwarm *'arer, 2
to 3 times a day. (Thh carrbe used* a iong-rerft
treatment for cysts.)
Freshplant: The more you eat, the better!
Cinnarnon
Cinnanonun zefuninn 0 carne e
pan used:bark
Cinnamon is usetulin caseofmuscular pains,flu,
and digestivespasms.It is alsom aphrodniac.
Decoction:Ma.kea normal dccocrion(p.351;take
l/4 cup 3 to 4 rimesdaily.
Clowes
Eugenia caryopb/lzta Q clou de gnofle
part used:dried flowersarrd buds
clo! e5frcit;,",. . itcul,,ron.rjr bodv Lemperarurc.
stinularcod dninlecrrhe sromr.h.sLn. Lidne)s.
intestines,lungs ald bronchii. Clove oil is ar
analgesicthat stopstoothacheswhen applieddirecdy
to the tooth or cavity.
Infirsion: I teaspoonclovesin 2 cupswater.Take
1/8 ofa cup, 3 times daily.
Echinacea (Purple conenower)
Echinaceap p rea t atg6tofol,20 rudbeckie
parr ued: the rooc
A blood purifier, ir stimolatesthe prcducrion of
white blood cellswhich destroybacreriaor vrruses.
Echinaceais arrherbalsubstitutefor mdbioucs c r
srrengrhcnsthe immune system.It is usedfor blood
poisoninB, poi,nnou,(Ling,and Lires.chronrcor
acutebacterialinfecions, vaginalinfectlonsand
hcmorrhoids.A good prostatetonic, it alsofaciliratcs
the climination offat. Eclinacea is non-toxrcmo
cm be taken ovcr long periodsoftimc.
Decoction: Make a regulardecoction(p.35).Add
licoriceroot ifthe nste males yor feelnauseous.
Take I to 5 tablespoons,3 to 6 dmesa dan
Tincture: 15 to 30 drops in a litle wam warer every
I to 6 hours, dependingon rhe severityofthe
infection.
Douche: Use a decoctionat room temperature,2 ro
3 times a weekfor 2 weeks.
4l
G ar lic
Allirn satiutm 0 ail
part use<l:bulb
G rsa nrrurJ mrnepLi..l' medicinalproperi.'
'n'-
foLrndrn rawgr,li. for be.rre.u|. ry o br1
'rc
ore i. cali,r: ir:' " bloodpurifier;iLreeula','
. i':.1. ;'. o*,"d .igh bloodpre'.u-,-i' i g.oJ
'
for veastinfecdons,chlanydia, odrer inlecrionsmd
nervousdisorders.Gulic is a diuretic,helpsbalmce
glandulardisorders,md strengthensthc immone
iysr.m..Al* good for warts,earaches,arrd corns.
Rrw garlic:r^hopo, pre* garlicclovc.f:-tc"rrh
.old w"reror mir *irh honey.fton r walt morerhan
5 minutes:fter you cut th. garlic cloveto consum.
it. Ear one or more clovesoffresh garlic3 to 4 cimes
Douche: Boil waterlor I5 minutes.Vhen coorco
down to body temperaturc,add the juice ofone or
Ear'achc (ear infectioa): Peelone gadic clore
wnhout breal<ingir. Vrap ir with cheeseclothor
qauc. Dip in ol.' e oil a;rdpur in rh. openingof rhr
l,r dor'r'push;r roo r* in. b.f"re goingro bcd.
and ifpossible during the day, for 4 daysor more
Also cat fresh garlic.
!J/arts:llub wnh a garlicclove cut in half, as often s
G i n ger
Zingiber fficinah 0 gingembre
pan used:rhizone and root
Ginger is a stimula-.t,an anJgesicand m
aphrodisiac.lt is usedlor boils, bronchitis,colic
pain, d;.-hea, flrr, sorc throats,hemorrhageofthc
lun3 . prntul nruse;.neurlgir. rd
rheumaisrn. Ginger is prticularly effectivefor
abdominal probirms.lt can bc talen in capsoles
with a h"t beverageo. .dd.d to y"L,r bath for f."".
an.i skin irritatiors. It carralsohelp bring on a iate
pcriod. It can be usedin powder form, but the fresh
root is much more porent.
Intusion: Freshginger:Grate a good qumtiry ofthe
roor md infusein boiled water for 30 to 60 mrnures.
Porvdoed ginger: t texpoon per cup ofhot water
uirh honcyald lem on.Dr ink I cup 3 rime.a d:1
rvith honey. For colds,add 1/4 teaspooncayenne
pepperto eachcup.
Capsules:Fill the capsuleswith gingerpowder, t:*e
3 capsulesdaily.
Freshroor Simply chcw a good quandty ofrhe root
severaltimes a day with rvater,or grateit and mix
42
Go ld e n se a l Ro o t
Hldrattn canadensn0 hydraste carladier
^--,,.-,1. -^^. " -,.1,L;"^--
Similar to echinaceaand mynh, goldensealroot rs a
powerful natural antibiotic. lt is usedfor viral and
bacteriaiinfections.Goldensealis a remedylor severe
inflammationsin the nose,rhroat, stomach,colon,
md is alsogood for hemorhoids. Especiallyeffective
for Herpes-typevnLrses(cold sores,shinslet, n n
also excellent as a douche lor vaginal infections, as an
eyewashfor conjunctiviris,anrisepticmouthwash,
md for skin probiemsand burns.
Intusion: 1/4 teaspoonof the powderedroot in I
cup ofboiling water. Mix well. Tale 2 to 5
tablespoons4 times daily. NB: this mstesvery bitter.
Capsuls: Measure 1/4 teaspoonofpowder. Fill 3
capsuleswith this amounr. Take 3 capsulesdaily.
Tincrure:l s drop. in warm warer,3 timesa d:y.
Paste:Mix a small amount ofporvderwith water to
mahea light paste.Use externallyon skin infections
and coverwith a cloth (it stains).
Douche: Use a strong infusion drdng a trcarmenr.It
is good ro usegoldensealboth intermlly ud
externally.VARNING: goldensealis toxic when
usedexcessively; do not usefor longer rhan two
wceks.Do not useduring pregnancy.
Lawender
Laoenduk ofi ciul;s Q lavan le
part used:flowers
Lavenderis a sedativearrdarr:,rti-bacterial.Usc the
esential oil externallyon open soresand to soothe
insectbites.Vash it offafrcr about 15 to 20
minutes,asit cm burn. lor a reluing bath, prepare
ar infi*ion oflavender arrdadd it to the wa-., o.
add a few drops oflavender cssentialoil.
Licorice
G\qnhim glabta Q reglisse
part used:rhe root whole, broken up inro piecesor
Licoriceis an emollient, an *pecrorant and a gentle
lxadvc. It also containssubstances similar to
esrrogen(asdoa sage).In Chinesemedicinerts
nicknameis "the reconcilor"sinc. in addilion ro
being usedon its own, it can be combinedwirh all
the other herbs.Its presenceincreases rhen medicinal
propcl ic, whrlcma.Lng rlrebirrerrr.re ofcerra;n
herbs.
Decoction: I ounce or more oflicorice root. Simmcr
for 20 minutes in 2 cups ofwater. Take 1/4 cup 3 to
4 times a day. This quantity carrbe addedto other
decoctionsor infusions.
Laxative:1 teaspoonofpowder nixed with honey.
Chcwing on the dried root (in sdck forn) helps
regulatcdigcstiveproblems.
Moth e rwo r t
t "ono us.a,lia,a 0 E;Lpaune
A rcally good uterineand hean tonic, mothervort
.rlsorelievescramps.k can be usedin strong doses
,nd I r Iors pe ioJ<of';.. p6n61 u.'Juing
Prcgnmcy.
lntusion: Male a regularinfusion (p.34). Dtink 1/1
cup3to4rimesaday.
Lare mcnstruation: Drink w,rm. !(len rhe florv is
normal, drink cold asa tonic.
Vaginitis; Douchewith the infusion at body
..-p..".".., 1 doucheper day for a wrek (or les).
Mugrvort
Atcn ;s;a w lga* 0 armoise
pan used'whole plant
Emmenagogue,anti epilcpcic,anti-spasmodic.Do
not rakein caseofutcrinc inllamrnation or during
P.cgnmcy.
Make a regularinfusion (p.34). Take 1/4 cup 3 to 4
timesdaily.
Parsley
Petoselinum satiuun 0 persil
pan uscd' *hole plant
l'arsleyis rich ir mineralsand containsmore ,ron
rhr any othcr greenvegetable.ft is rich in utamrns
rr rnd B ad hasthreetimcs more vitmin C tharr
cirru fruirs. Parsleyis *cellent lor kidneysand
bladdo srcns, good for the optical and cen-ica1
nenes, the suprarcnalglmds md blood vessds.ft
pr*er,ts rhcumatistr,::ril hdps inflan'.edglards and
mensrruaiproblerns.The roots and seedsarc usedin
decoctlon.Ifyou havea hard rimc eatingenough
freshparsley,takc it in infuion instead.In caseof
kidney infecdon, rakeginger (which k an antt'
inflammatory) instead.
Intusion: Make s normal infusion (p.34). Take 2 to
6 rablcspooru4 rimesa day.
Pennyroyal
Mentha Puhg;un 0 poiiot
part uscd,*hole plant
Itnnyroyal (oftcn refrred to asAmerican
pcnny.oy"l) is an expeccoranrwhich facilitates
evrcuationofbile and is usedfor bronchni. ,rrd
whooping cough.It zlso inducesuterine
conLrr'rion.. Do no, ure duringprrgn.ucy
Pcnnyrolzr in herb form cm be hard to find in
rnany parts of Canada.
Essentialoil: Rub die skin, it keepsmosquitoesaway
and ca" g.t latemcnst.uation ro staft.1VARNING:
lennyroyal cssentialoil is toxic {ao cause.learh
FOREXTERNALUSEONLY.
11
Red Raspberry Leaves
Rubus ;daeut 0 ferl|Ies de fiamboisie,
Red raspbefy leavesare usedfor di,rrhea,
hemorrhoids,vaginitis,hormonal probicmsand
during rd afterpregnancy.Th€y ire by far onc of
the bestuterinetonics. Thcy stimulate menstrual
flow by toning the ovariesand the uterusand
improving their functions. Taken during
menstruation,red rmpbery leavesrelicvccrarnps
and regularethe f1ow.They alsohelp wirh digesrion
rnfusion: Make a regularinfusion (p.34). Tat<e1
cup, 3 tima daily.
Douche: Once a day with a concentratedinftLsionat
room temperature.Do not usefor morc than one
Ro se h ip s
Rosacanina Q iglamier
A tonic lor fatigueand vitamin deficiencicsand a
diuretic, rosehipsconrain a 1ot ofvirmin C. They
arc excellenrlor rhe skin, and help balan- hormonal
irregularities-goodfor irregularmenstrualcyclesand
heary white vaginaldischarge(lercorrhea).
Make a regL ar intuion (p.34); rake the
rccommcnded do.age/p Js, l{orchip,rn infu .o,l
uc excellenr cold wirh Iemo"
Rosernary
Ro,nar;nu! ofrcindlii 0 rcnaril
often usedfor headaches, colic pains,colds,
newourne. d.pre,.ion.palpnarrons od urerire
.ongcsrion. A pLrJmon.rncler.er. ir : r.o hJpful
for arlhoa whcn the steamis inhaled: add a strong
infusion ro your bath.
M.rJre iniusronrp.J. r: drin . I /r , up. J ,o
. regrrJar
Sa g e
satu;aofrcinaha suse
Usedfor sorethroats,to bring down high feversmd
ro srinularecircul.rrion
od digestion. S.rgermprr.
l,.ration rdriesup morher''milkr This hob rn.r,r-.
estrogenand can help wirh certain menstrual
nregularities.
Intusion: Make a regularinfirsion (p.34). Take 1 ro
To dry up mother's milk 1 cup ofcold infuslon
To garglewith: Make arr infusion using 1/2 cup of
water and I /2 cup ofapple cider vinegar.
4i
Tansy {Bitter Burtons)
Tanacenn u"lga,e Q tnaGie vulgaire
pan usedrleaves,flowersand sceds
Tans.ris usedfor amcnonheaand dysmenorrhea.
The seedsc:-r be usedro expelworms. It is an
emmenagoguewhich can be used ro promote regular
periods.\(arning: Tansy can causehearTbLeedingin
*omcn who usuallyha"e a heary menstruall1ow.
Do not contuse widr tansy ragwort.
Tahe in small ard repeateddoses.Extralarge doses
car causecongestionand result in discomfort to rhe
abdominal organs.
Infixion: Prepre a regularintusion (p.34) using 1
ounc. herb to 1 pint (500 ml) watcr. Take I cup, 3
times a day beforemerls.
Tincture: 10 to 15 drops in rvarm water, 3 to 4
Thyrne
Thlnu n!sr!: ,r Tbnu: pulzgion!* Q th,y:t
Thvme is usedfor headaches, fever,colds,
bronchiri, cramps,digestiveproblems,nignrmares,
whooping cough,wounds, toothaches,scabies,ulcer,
sorerhroats,worms, fneumausm,eo as a oeooofanr
and a mouthws:h.
Intusion: 1 reaspoonofthyme in one cup ofwater.
I ahe I cup, 3 to 4 rimes a day.
For coughrMix with honey; take I to 2 teaspoonsas
For fever:Drink a hot infusion. Vrap yourselfin
biankersso as to sweat;then take a shower.
For worms: 1 to 5 drops ofthyme cssentialoil with
honey and someolive oil, 3 tima daily.
For skin prohlems,scabies,parasites:Mix 2 ro 3
reaspo""' rhyme essentialoii in 5 ounccsolivc oil.
Apply 3 or moLetimes everyday to the affected
areas.Also takerhyme infusions 3 times a day.
Valerian
Valet;ana ofic;naln o vtertne
V-er.,,r i' u.eJ in crsesofar>.iery.depre*ion.
digcstiveorcirculation disorders.It is good lor
rrcermgproblemsrelf,teoro worry, sp.rms,
rremblrng. cprlepy. neuralgir.Ir i<al'o
.on"'Lrl,ion..
uscd to facilirateslecping,for headachesard for pain
h eeneral.Prepare\alerian x an infusion onln
neie. a decoctio' Geep.34). Do not pre*oak the
's
roots or steepfor longer than 2 hours Becauseofits
bitcertasteand foul smell, it is suggestcdto add one
ofthe following herbs (vhich alsohavemedicinal
propertiet to valerianintusions:cinnamon (for
convulsions);cayenne(for oamps); anise(for
digestirr disorders);gingu (for menstrual
iuegularitied.
In6rsion: I ounce ofroot, 2 cups ofboiling warer.
Steepcovcredfor 45 minutcs. Take 1/4 cup, 3 ro 4
Tincture: 10 to 15 drops in a lltrle water, 3 to 4
rWrild Carrot Seed
(Queen Anne's lace)
Daucus carota Q ca:otte sasvage
parr used:sceds,rooa
Roorre, i. r diurcri, helpseliminarc
urinrry
"hich
stonesmd worms-
The seedscan be Luedas a "morning afterpill, ro
prc"cr,r'hc impl;nrationofa lenilizedegg ee
'
p.t6).
\fild carrot seedis easilyfound in the ciry and
country; the seedsshould be picked in rhe nitidle r"
end ofseprember (consuftsomeoncwho ha done
thn befor€).\|ARNING: be very ereful a'uout
idend$ing this plant. It is easilycontusedwith
poisonhemlock,which can causedeath (no 1o"e7.
Yarrorw
Ach;tba nitqoti"n c achilliemi1le,fcuille
part used: flowers and leavs
Yarrow is a deallser.rr is urd for cordsand flu,
hemouhagesofthe lungs md rhe inrcsrines,vaginal
and bladderintcctions,menstrualdisordcrs,
hemorrhoids,facigue,and circulaticr problems.
lnftsion, Make a resular infusion (p.34). Drink 3 ro
4 cups daily
Decoctionr Start with a regularinfuion rhat s been
preparedmd suained.Simmer until the liquio rs
rcducedto halfits original volume. Strain.Driok
cold halfa cup, 3 times daily.
For flu md coldsi Drink one to rwo cupsofrhe hot
infusion. For colds,wnp yoursefnr blanketsaftcr
drinkng in order co sweat,then take a barh.
For rbdominatpain or hcarr bteadine:fakc , hoL
infuion heloremer.rrullion o, a, nc;ed 1.,
s.\l
rr_h*
-+F'rrr g{.;-,
\-i'-e, .W
N-
47
 lnlerpl;ilL*s
TheNea Ou Bod;es,Ourtelues.Updmed and
crpandedfor rhe'90s. By Se Boston \(omeni Healrh
B,iok ahlecrive. Touchsrone.1992.
D e'p knte! qti gltiis e,t. By MarieProvosr.Bibliothique
qudbdcoise. 1991.
Natural nelzcinefor chiAr,. ByJulian Scottph.d.
tnd;an htbohg in North Aneria. By Nma R.
Hutchens.Merco,Canada.1973.
wise Wonan Herbal for the Childbearingyatt. By
SusunVeed. Voodstock, 1985.
Thc W;te Voner erbal: Hcaling w;te By Susun S.
weed.
Liou Ind;ans ue wild lk* i2'r food, nedzcineand
a@. By FrancesDensm"r;. tiove.. 1974.
Hlgenia, a wonan habal ByJeannePmati
Greestone.1978.
TheInunrbb E4i/cn;r. Thestoryofwonex andAIDS.
By GenaCorea.Harper Perennial1993.
Susie SexpettiLubian SexUz,/rl By SusieBrjght.
CleisPres. 1990.
TaheBacl YoroL;Ji. A Winnin: Guide To Alternatitte
Ilealth Catr- By Nic\a non Grata. Available atr Profale
ExistenceCollecdve,P.O. Box 8722, Mirneapolis,
MIN 55408,USA. Senci$2 US.
Maling it vfe. Ry Cildy P*ton.
Fnd onb;ningfor heabh.By Doris Grmt & Jean
Joyce.ThorsonPublishersinc.
HetbdlIlone Hcalth Cal. ByJohn C.ntoPher.Provo.
Utal. BixorlC publisher.1976.
La l-loteLaatntienne.By FrdreMdie-Victoln.
Presses dc l'UdM. Montrdal. 1964.
t'trton lnld Gidet to Med;chal Plznx.Itorghon
Mifflin Company.
A C;tyHerbal.Ity Ma;da Silverman.Kropf. 1977.
::::roidnr{ier
L bottineaurherbes: :778 A
'ue
SainrD"nis,
Monrr€al,Qc,I{2V 2Mr Caradz:(5\4) 845-1225
Le i,udindetournesols:Mail order.Goodqualiy
organicherbs.22-ALesplatcau,Arse ScJean,Qc,
u0\' U0 Canada; (418)272'3115
Blessed Herbs:Mail order.Rt. 5, Box 1042,rva,
MO,65608USA
ArenaBotmicals:Mail order.P.O.Box365,\x'cst
Ro&pon,ME, 0'1865USA
H*b Pharrn;Mail order.Box 116,Viltiams,OR,
97544U51'
48
-Wornen's
health
. eudbec
organizations/referral/
Womens Cenrerof Vonudal: i585'ues.tin'
Urbain, Monrr,:al, Qc (51.4) 842'4780
women's HealrhCenter:1I0J boul. SairtJo'cph
Est, Montr€a1,Qc, H2J IL3 \514) 270 6\i0
Clinique Actuel: Gynecoloer',::sts,HIV. Monrrualr
\5r4)524'100r
Stella:S*workers r*ource cencer,Monr€al; (514)
285-8889
Canada/Maritirnes
' Atlantic
Cmadiaa Coalition of Womeni Groups:Mount St.
Vlncent University,166 BedfordHwy, Room 9 Scton
Annex,Halifa, NS, B3M 216;(902) 443'4150
Innu ResourceCentet: Sheshetshit, Nita:sinan,AOP
lM0
Ne*foundlmd and Labrador'Women'sInstrtute:
P.O.Box 13785,St.Johns, Nfld, A1B 4C3; (709)
754,0690
Vo,--en's Institute FederatioaofPlI: P.O. Box
1058,Charlonetown,PEI, CIA 7M4: (902) 368'
4860
'Ontario
Hsde FreeClinic for'Women: 566 Church Street,
Toronto, onr; (416) 922'0566
Native Vomo s ResourceCenter: 345 GerrardSt.
East,Toronto, onr, M5A2Gr 1416)963'9963
VoicesofPositive Women: P.O. Box 471 Stn. C,
Toronto, Ont, M6J 3P5;1416)324-8703
' Pacific
VmcouverWomen'rHeaft-h Collccdve,2l'r.16L
Vest 8rh Ave.,Varrcouvet,BC,V6J 1v2t (6A4)736
5262or736-4234.
PacificAIDS ResourceCertre I107 SeymourStreet,
Vucouver, BC, V6B 5sa, (604) 893-2210
 This is theengtishtanguage
aoaphddnofC !rr /o4Jrr{
(hauddonst?r (uto cs dcrlli, J
r.tr.sAt$avs Horin
Grls'Pants). by Tsabelle
cauthier

This edirionwas collectively wrjtten by IsabelieGauthier

andLisa Vinebaum HIV/AIDS sectionby KarenH€rland.

Translduon:R"chercudy. ManineBaza,.Lisa!inebaun,
PenntPattison.TanyaWalers.Jenniferperela

l]oofrading: Mariannopedretti,Arllle Hendemon,Carla

Nemilo4 Marlinda Zunic, Lisa Vinebaum.

Layout and desigr Mlriam Cliche

{over page:IrdneMayer

&hvork: Isabeliecaurhier

Editionr Hd Panrz

First edition: Montrdal-Toronro-Vancouver-Maison

d€s
Souris, I 994.
Secondedilion: Monrr€al, 1995.
Third edirion: Montrdat, 1998

Specia]thaN {or inspimrionto JoyceRedik€r,t,a Feedcs

Ros€s,SueAnn Harkey.

Womenare encouragedto shrre tbis infomatioq amongs

themselves.Therc is no copyrigbtoa Hot pantz-Howe,ta,
we ask $ar you pleasecopy or sharErhis inforrnadon
rcsponsibly,aid give qedir 10the authorsrrheiE

Individual and butk ord ersol Eot pMtz c nt c

obtained by writing to the addressbelowi DIEsc
€ndose$3 (plus$r postrg€)per individtratbootler
Dohalions are welcome to subsidizethe costsof
distribution to women who cannot atford to buy trIrl
P/nIz. f,or comnents, orde6 lnd inlormationi

ttot pantz
CP 871,Succ.C
Montrdal
Qc 1f2L 4L6
Canrda

For copi€sin rfte UK rnd €urope,seerhe codhavetr

Irk detailsal.he front oflhr palnphtet

L.belle CauLhjer,otd, c degRe in herbdtrneEp\ she srJdred

riib loyce Red:keror te urand Monde de, Herbe, in VoDutal
is a herbal pracririone. wfth severat yeals of etjve
-d

Vjrebaun j! an aJrisrand activisr Shehrs beenlsing herbal

py o. herself and otherselecredviclims for a nmb€; or