Using Sofia, a Chinese fertility drug, can led to newborns and children developing secondary sexual features according to the Ministry of Health. In essence they develop and show signs of puberty.
In addition, breastfeeding children of mothers taking the pill develops swollen feet, Knock-knees, painful muscles and slurred speech.
Further the Ministry said girls experience early breast development and their uterus become enlarged while boys develops early puberty signs and sometimes fails to develop secondary sexual characteristics affecting their genitalia growth.
Women taking the pills had reported developing secondary infertility and hypertension.
The alarm was raised after the pill, which was banned 13 years ago, made a comeback into the country through the back door and Kenyan women are popping it in an alarming rate.
The increase in the uptake of the pill is due to the false believe that it is herbal thus containing no chemicals and it convenience in usage as it is taken once a month.
According to Albert Ndwiga, National Family Planning Programme Manager at the Ministry, analysis done on the pills shows that it is not herbal at all. It contains very high levels of estrogrine and progestroren that are toxic.
The findings were echoed by an earlier analysis of the pill by the National Quality Control Laboratory (NQCL) which found the pills have over 40 times the allowable dosage of levonorgestrel and quinestrol hormones. The findings by the institution led to its banned over a decade ago.
Levonorgestrel is used by women to prevent pregnancy after birth control failure or unprotected sex and mostly as a morning after pill.
Quinestrol is an estrogen medication which has been used in menopausal hormone therapy, hormonal birth control, and to treat breast cancer and prostate cancer.
The Ministry warns that one month family planning method does not exist.
This was revealed during the World Contraceptive Day. The theme of this year’s celebration is, “Breaking Myths and Misconceptions on Family Planning”.
The Ministry urged women to use approved and registered contraceptive methods adding that half the women who used the pill fall pregnant.
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