Fake pregnancy: Women abusing steroids risk breast cancer, say gynaecologists

Gynaecologists are issuing a stark warning about the severe health risks associated with women abusing steroids to simulate pregnancy. Physicians emphasize that such misuse of steroids or hormonal medications can lead to dangerous complications, including high blood pressure, blood clots, liver problems, ovarian and breast cancers, and stroke.

Experts stress that attempting to mimic pregnancy through these substances is extremely dangerous and should never be pursued. This practice not only poses direct health threats but also delays women from seeking essential medical evaluations for actual health concerns. Julie Okah-Donli, former Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has spoken out about women faking pregnancies with steroids to deceive their husbands and obtain babies through fake pregnancy syndicates and baby trafficking rings.

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They are injected with steroids. So when they inject them with these steroids, it gives them the semblance of a pregnant woman. Their faces are bloated up, and their tummies are actually very big. They look pregnant, but they are not pregnant.

Okah-Donli described how women are injected with steroids, causing their faces to bloat and their abdomens to enlarge, creating a convincing appearance of pregnancy. They also imitate symptoms like morning sickness, vomiting, and spitting, particularly when their husbands are present. Some women reportedly arrange for fake childbirths or present a baby to their husbands upon their return, with some even undergoing fake surgical procedures to simulate a Cesarean section.

Professor Preye Fiebai, President of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health, cautioned against the misuse of hormonal steroids for mimicking pregnancy. He explained that while some drugs might cause weight gain or abdominal enlargement, they do not result in a real pregnancy and can inflict significant harm. Short-term effects include elevated blood pressure, increased blood sugar, fluid retention, mood disturbances, and liver dysfunction. Long-term consequences are even more dire, potentially leading to permanent hormonal disruption, infertility, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic liver and kidney damage, and an increased risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, with breast cancer being a particular concern.

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While some drugs may cause weight gain, abdominal enlargement, or breast changes, they do not produce a real pregnancy and may cause significant harm.