By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Dr Babanding Daffeh, a gynecologist at Kanifing General Hospital has warned against the use of Snuff local known as ‘taba,’ a commonly used smokeless tobacco products substances use by women on their genital.
Dr Daffeh made this revelation among other issues at a press conference organised by Mothers Health Foundation (MoHF) designed to raise awareness among the populace on the harmful use of the locally made ‘taba’ substance by women.
“Taba is not medically or scientifically confirmed to be used on the genital, we don’t know the content. In fact, we don’t know whether there is any hygiene involved. It has never been tested in our laboratories or anywhere in the world, and cannot be used in woman genital,” Dr Daffeh disclosed.
Dr Babanding Daffeh
He added: “This can cause chemical dermatitis, it will also cause infection because it is never sterilised. Where the material is been placed is never sterilised, so it will introduce infection but it cannot treat infection.”
According to him, the use of ‘taba’ can cause negative sexual satisfaction as well as cause scars on the genital, adding that it can also cause problems for pregnant women during delivery times thus making the stretching of the vagina difficult.
Dr Daffeh emphasized that the continuous use of ‘taba’ substances can also results to injuries to women genital parts during labour, stating that the injuries when not attended to by a health worker may result to loss of lives during delivery.
“Use of ‘taba’ can cause bleeding which is the leading cause of maternal mortality throughout the world, so is never safe to use it on the genital for sexual satisfaction. We have also realized that it has caused abortion for some people who have been using this substance,” Dr. Daffeh pointed out.
He condemned the use of the substances by women in their genital to precipitate labour, adding that it is very dangerous and risk to force labour which is anchored on a specific duration.
Speaking at the occasion, Madam RoheyYateh Sey, President Mothers Health Foundation (MoHF) said the use of ‘taba’ substance has become a global phenomenon. She added that Gambian women are into the use of the substance that causes grieve harms to them too.
According to her, it is out of the desire to stop the use of the substances that is reasons Mothers Health Foundation and partners are reaching out to the Gambians to sensitize on the dangers of it, Added that ‘taba’ is not only used by women but equally by men who uses the substance for similar purposes of attracting sexual satisfaction.
She observed that, majority of people using it has no idea of the medical implications involved in the use of the product, noting that it is about time to intensify sensitisation regarding the use of it on the genitals.
Madam Sey called on the National Assembly Members to legislate laws that will criminalize the sales and use of it in the country, arguing that the implications for not coming out with laws to ban it in the country will be a big mistake.
She further called on Gambian women to do away from the use of it. Saying that many of the maternal deaths registered in the health facilities can be attributed to the use it.
The occasion was graced by many organisations including SOBA News Network, Mothers Health Foundation (Senegal Chapter), Network of Gender Based Violence Against Women, Gambia Red Cross Association who all called on Gambian people to put concerted efforts in the fight to end the use of Taba in the country.