Across Nigeria, women caught between the cultural weight of motherhood and the quiet grief of infertility are turning to a dangerous deception — injecting themselves with unregulated steroids to simulate pregnancy, often ensnared by criminal networks that traffic infants to complete the illusion. Gynaecologists are now raising urgent alarm, not only about the grave physical toll — cancer, organ failure, permanent hormonal ruin — but about the deeper tragedy of women harming themselves in pursuit of something that legitimate medicine and reformed adoption pathways might otherwise provide. This
Steroid abuse for fake pregnancy linked to breast cancer, serious health risks
Women engaging in fake pregnancy practices experience profound emotional distress, shame, and psychological trauma; children involved in trafficking syndicates face exploitation and trafficking risks.