Kenyan women confess to using banned Chinese family planning pill despite cancer concerns
Several Kenyan women have confessed to using a banned family planning pill produced by the Chinese.
The herbal pill named Sophia was the subject of discussion after a TikToker by the name Liz Chege revealed how a friend of hers was diagnosed with cancer and having it attributed to her years of using the Sophia pill.
“There is this herbal pill that has been circulating in the Kenyan market. It’s called Sophia and the government and the Ministry of Health has been warning women against using this pill. So ladies, if you are using this pill, you know where you are getting it and don’t ask me where I got this one from, this pill is illegal in Kenya. Please stop using this pill. So the other day, there is a friend of mine who actually made me talk about this story today.
She called me and told me ‘If you know women out there who are using this Sophia, please tell them to stop’ because she was just diagnosed with cancer and they are suspecting the main cause that led to her condition could be this Sophia pill. The herbal pill. So ladies, I have been sent to warn you against using this pill. I think most ladies use them because they see it doesn’t have severe side effects like the other family planning methods like the depo,” said Ms Chege.
She went on to ask for answers as to how this banned drug was still imported and accessible in the Kenyan market’s dark alleys and back rooms by sellers who sneak around to carry out the transactions. Despite warning her viewers against the drug, many confessed to using it for years and not suffering any consequences.
“Been using it from 2018 mpaka waleo na nina watoto wawili (until today and I have two children). So far so good 15 years now,” said Boss Lady Kenya KE.
“walikataa sababu wanataka tutumie hizi zingine but to me all family planning ziko na side effect so kama nikufa tutakufa wote (They warned us because they want us to use these other family planning methods. But to me all family planning have side effects and if it is dying, we will all die),” added Liz.
“My friend has been using it na it has not affected her in any way,” said Sonnie Bulls.
“I’ve been using it for 5yrs juu za Kenya zilinishinda (because Kenyan products failed me)..,” revealed Annie Ka mum5.
However, other women attested to how adversely the pills affected them and had to be hospitalized to save their lives.
In 2009, the Kenyan government banned the deformity causing Chinese fertility pill in both women and the children they had later. Researchers found that babies could be born with enlarged breasts, risks of developing secondary sexual features, knock knees abnormal uteruses in children below the age of three and slurred speech; and for the women taking the pill, they were at risk of heart palpitations, feelings of false pregnancy, ‘heavy’ legs, nausea and tender breasts.
The pill, taken once a month, retails for Sh 200 a tablet and is sold under the pretense of being a herbal pill. However, the National Quality Control Laboratory- according to the Business Daily- found that the pill contained extremely high levels of the levonorgestrel and quinestrol hormones, over 40 times the recommended dose in a family planning pill.
Sophia was also found to have 100 times more estradiol over the recommended 30mcg daily pill dose and this exposed users to blood clots and heart disease.