Implications of botanico utilizations for clinical management of HIV/AIDS among Latino Americans

Many Latino Americans patronize botanicos, stores that sell traditional herbal medicine. Most also sell other items associated with spiritual healing. Botanico clerks (curanderos/curanderas) are a key source of medical advice for some clients, and therefore important potential referral sources and educators. The authors conducted a systematic review of research on botanico practices and reasons for patronizing botanicos to identify potential interactions with conventional HIV/AIDS clinical management practices and how these interactions could affect patients' health and sense of well-being. Findings indicate the potential for practices both to enhance and contraindicate each other. Some alternative herbal medicines recommended by curanderos have been shown to reduce severity of some disease symptoms or side effects of anti-retroviral treatments. Folk healers' perspective on health and healing and their accessibility are associated with credibility, patients' sense of well-being, and treatment protocol adherence. However, some frequently recommended herbs are contraindicated for use with conventional HIV/AIDS treatment. Therefore, effective clinical management requires awareness of botanico utilization. However, traditional and conventional healers generally do not collaborate and may be unaware of this potential. Patients may not discuss their alternative medicine use with service providers, who may not know to ask. Collaborations between curanderos and physicians have the potential to offer patients culturally competent care that includes the benefits of both alternative and conventional treatment while preventing adverse interactions. The authors provide examples of successful collaborations between curanderos and physicians and suggest applying these approaches to an integrated treatment model for HIV/AIDS.