Pretoria: Authorities have warned the public against using illicit birth control pills, as they might be harmful. Department of Health spokesperson Joe Maila said on Monday that people should not buy medication “off the street” as no one could guarantee that it was safe to take them.

“People must be very careful all of the time because you don’t know what kind of processes that medication has gone through if it is sold on the street,” said Maila, speaking to GCIS radio news.

This comes as media reports suggest that women are buying the illicit birth control pills because they are cheaper and it saves them waiting in queues at clinics.

“If you need medication, consult your doctor or alternatively … go to a pharmacy to buy your medication not on the street because its safety features cannot be guaranteed and therefore it can be very harmful,” said Maila.