Widespread use of breast enhancing creams among SHS students

There are reports of widespread use of breast enhancing creams and injectibles among Senior High School students and other teenagers.

The substances are also said to change the complexion of the breast region of users.

In the course of the investigations, a young female in Senior High School revealed she once used the product after a friend introduced it to her. Josephine, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, is a seventeen-year-old Senior High School student. She appears to wear an A-cup bra and she says her friends laugh at her for having smaller breasts.

“I feel embarrassed when my friends laughed at me for having small breasts. I have always had this perception that certain clothes will not look good on me. So I decided to use it but I stopped that’s why I am still flat,” she added.

Other young women have also used similar cosmetics, which they claim, makes the breasts fairer. Josephine says the cosmetics and other body enhancement products are sold on the open market but only to their target customers.

Checks at the Food and Drugs Authority show no product has been duly registered for the purpose.

Dr. Priscilla Amma Pokuaa says teenagers need to be aware of the danger they are exposed to.

“We have hormones in the breast that regulate and if those hormones exceed the amount of hormonal regulation it can also increase your risk factor. So there is the need to halt this practice which is increasing”, she said.

A local NGO, Elijeko Foundation, is on a mission to educate students to stay clear of such substances.

President of the foundation, Andrews Kwabena Nyantakyi says already some young women in some Senior High Schools in Kumasi are being trained on how to prevent some of these diseases.

“With the necessary knowledge, diseases like cervical and breast cancers can be prevented and this will help the country,” he added.