Methodological complexities in the study of health tourism: A study of the appropriation of indigenous herbal sexual stimulants and fertility enhancers in Zimbabwe (A review paper)

Abstract

Thestudyofhealthtourismbasedontheconsumptionoftraditional herbalsexualstimulantsandfertilityenhancersisanexceptionalordeal.Research 10inthisfieldhasprovedmethodologicallycomplexasthepopulationconstitute thehard-to-reachgroup(hiddenpopulations).Consumersofthesetraditionalher balprescriptionsgenerallyarefloatingpopulationsandsociallyinvisiblethusget tingholdofthemposesmajormethodologicalcomplexities.Thispaperfocuseson highlightingtheissuesunderlyingthestudyofhiddenpopulations,withaparticular focusontradi-15tionalherbalistsandtheconsumersof indigenoussexualstimu lantsandfertilityenhancers.Certainspecificmethodologicalchallengesarefaced byresearchersworkingwithhiddenpopulations,andthispaperexploresthesein thefieldofhealthtourismbasedontheconsumptionof indigenousherbalmedi cine.Particularfocusispaidtothemethodologicalchallengesinvolved.Thepaper’s maincontributionistohighlightandemphasizethemethodologicalproblemsthat emerge whenstudying socially invisible populations and to showcase the inade quacy of some existing methods to recruit these hidden populations.