Press release
The Medical Research Council Unit – The Gambia (MRCG) is leading a groundbreaking study into the hidden health risks of intravaginal tobacco use among Gambian women, a practice that has received little scientific scrutiny despite its prevalence and potential dangers.
Known locally as taba, this practice involves inserting tobacco powder—often mixed with other substances—directly into the vagina.
Women report using it for a variety of reasons: treating vaginal infections, enhancing sexual pleasure, improving pregnancy and labor outcomes, and addressing conditions like hypertension, asthma, and infertility.
The study, launched in 2024, is the first of its kind to systematically examine both the sociocultural motivations and the chemical composition of the products used.
Preliminary results reveal that taba is often marketed as traditional medicine but may contain dangerous additives, such as baobab ash, caustic soda, cannabis, and shea butter, raising significant toxicological concerns.
Health authorities and medical experts warn that intravaginal tobacco use can cause severe health complications, including increased risk of cancer, life-threatening childbirth complications, and acute toxic reactions.
The Ministry of Health and local NGOs are actively raising awareness, urging women to abandon the practice and seek safer alternatives.
The MRCG study, expected to conclude in December 2025, aims to provide evidence for targeted public health interventions and policy reforms to address this hidden risk.
This research is funded by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and is seen as a vital step toward protecting the health of Gambian women and curbing a dangerous and underreported practice.
It also responds to growing concern over a practice that is reported in multiple Sub-Saharan African countries but has received little scientific attention. A 2023 paper published in BMJ Tobacco Control helped spotlight the issue and laid the foundation for the study.
Dr Bai Cham, Postdoctoral Research Associate at MRCG and lead author of the paper and Principal Investigator, said the goal is to shine a light on a hidden issue that has profound health implications and empower communities with the knowledge to protect them.
“In collaboration with research partners in the United States and The Gambia, the study looks at what motivates women who use tobacco intravaginally. It also documents tobacco use behaviours and assesses the chemical composition (including nicotine content) and level of toxicity of the products.”
The project findings are expected to provide a vital evidence base for designing culturally relevant public health interventions, education campaigns, and policy strategies aimed at curbing the practice. Meanwhile, the preliminary findings are already making a difference.
The Mothers Health Foundation, a local partner based in The Gambia, is using the insights to inform its community outreach and advocacy work, encouraging women to abandon intravaginal tobacco use and seek safer alternatives.
