By Jovitta Iorshase
A gynaecologist and Obstetrician, who is also the founder of First Fertility Hospital, Makurdi, Doctor Terungwa Stephen Hwande, has warned that some of the anti aging or menopausal supplements may be exposing women to cancer.
He made this known last Thursday in an interview with The Voice, at the First Fertility Hospital, Makurdi.
Dr. Hwande revealed that, due to some emerging menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes, mood swings, depression and even psychiatric manifestations or cope with aging, some women have turn to the use of supplements like reload 40+ or 50+, phafarone and Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) to help them cope with menopause.
“Though those hormonal boosters are good, some can induce artificial menstruation (against the cessation of menses) which can lead to cancer of the womb if the womb is not removed, that is while Western women who have attained menopause but still wish to meet their partners go through enterectomy (removal of womb) before the process.
“However, recent studies have also shown that, those HRT can also cause cancer of the breast so even if one rules out cancer of the womb, one should watch out for that of the breast. So women should be careful of what to use”. He warned.
The gynaecologist and Obstetrician further recommended that, even though most African women do not have a challenge coping with menopause, those who are confronted with discomforting symptoms could always visit a gynaecologist for diagnosis and possibly get conservative or expectant treatment.
He also suggested the use of oestrogen creams for women at menopause, and to feed well, since they are prone to pubic infection at this point.
He called on the male partners to understand and support their women through the physiology changes until they cope.
