A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Emmanuel Idowu Olowokere, has raised concerns over women taking hormonal drugs without medical guidance to improve their chances of conception. He warned that such medications could have long-term harmful effects on their reproductive health. Olowokere, Chief Medical Director of God’s Knot Hospital and Fertility Centre in Ibadan, noted that some women resort to taking drugs recommended by chemists or drug sellers without consulting qualified medical practitioners.
Dr Olowokere strongly discouraged women from taking hormonal medications without a gynaecologist's guidance, stating that it could alter their system and have damaging effects in the long term. He explained that the desire to achieve pregnancy quickly makes some women vulnerable to taking medications without understanding their consequences. Olowokere compared this to men with poor sperm production, where certain medications may initially improve sperm parameters but have adverse effects over time.
The fertility specialist cited examples of women who have taken hormonal drugs and ended up with ovarian cysts and other gynaecological conditions that worsened their fertility challenges. He advised women experiencing difficulties with conception to seek professional medical assessment before taking any fertility-related medication. Dr Olowokere emphasized that fertility treatment should be based on proper medical assessment rather than assumptions about the effectiveness of certain drugs.
Dr Olowokere also expressed concern about the ease with which medicines affecting the body's hormonal system can be obtained from drug outlets without prescriptions. He suggested that Nigeria should strengthen its regulation of medicines, particularly those capable of producing significant changes in the body's hormonal system. According to him, drugs with substantial effects on the body should not be sold over the counter like ordinary medications.
The consultant argued that stricter controls on hormonal medications would help discourage indiscriminate use and encourage patients to seek appropriate medical advice before starting treatment. He acknowledged that relatively simple drugs, such as paracetamol, could be made more readily available but maintained that medications capable of altering hormonal function should be subject to stricter controls.
Dr Olowokere stressed that professional guidance is essential in determining the appropriate treatment for women experiencing fertility challenges. He advised women to consult qualified gynaecologists before using medications that affect their reproductive systems and not to take fertility-related drugs simply because they have been recommended by someone without the expertise to assess their individual medical circumstances.
The specialist's warning highlights the challenges faced by women under pressure to become pregnant and tempted to experiment with different medications in the hope of achieving quick results. Dr Olowokere urged women to prioritize their reproductive health and seek medical guidance before taking any hormonal medications for fertility purposes.
Key points
- Women should avoid self-medication with hormonal drugs to boost fertility without proper medical guidance.
- Unsupervised use of hormonal medications can have damaging effects on reproductive health.
- Stricter regulations on hormonal medications are necessary to prevent indiscriminate use.
