A SURVEYOF HERBAL ABORTIFICIENTS AND CONTRACEPTIVES IN SOKOTO, NORTH-WEST NIGERIA.

The study was a survey of medicinal plants used as abortificients and contraceptives in Sokoto. A total of 10 herbal sellers were interviewed using semi structured questionnaires and open ended conversation. A total of 15 species belonging to 12 families were cited as abortificients while a total of 12 species belonging to 9 families were cited as contraceptives. Some of these are used as single agents while some are used as combination. Some of these plants have been previously reported in literature. The most frequently cited contraceptive herb is Ricinus communis while that of abortificient is Lawsonia inermis. Maximal numbers of plants are recorded from Caesalpiniaceae family as abortificients and Fabaceae family as contraceptives.