‘Second hand clothes are not safe’

Dr Kunle Adesina, a medical doctor at Nisssi Hospital, Masaka in Nasarawa State, has warned users of fairly used clothes to be cautious in patronising them due to its negative health implications.

Adesina, who gave this warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Mararaba, cautioned users on the negative effects and health implications of using such items.

He condemned the habit of people buying and using already used clothes, stressing that buyers had no idea of the health status of the first hand users before it was imported.

Adesina noted that users of fairly used cloths were prone to skin infections such as candidiasis, fungus skin disease, furunculosis and allergic skin disease among others.

According to him, candidiasis disease is a fungal infection of any of the Candida (yeast) species, while furunculosis is the presence of furuncles or boils.

“Although, some will buy and disinfect them by washing and ironing; others will buy because of the perceived nice odor; they will just bath and wear it immediately not knowing the health implications.

“You cannot compare any other disease with candidiasis infections; the candida is notorious to treat even after washing the clothes; there is every tendency that the first hand user might had candidiasis infections.

“Also, wearing of fairly used bra or pants is risky, one can be infected with fungus skin or bacterial infection.

“That is why you see some people suffering from rashes and itches that have refused to go,’’ he said.

Adesina observed that second hand clothes might be cheap and affordable, but admonished users to properly disinfect them by washing with warm water, antiseptic, sun dry and iron properly.

The physician stressed that the psychological implication of buying second hand clothes by parents for their children could lead to developing second class mentality.

He said that when a child grew up with the mentality of buying second hand clothes; it goes a long way in affecting the child to believing that anything second hand is good.

The medical doctor added that most of the second hand clothes had expired, emphasising that some had been used and over used, thus losing their quality.

“It will be better for an individual to buy new quality clothes that a child can wear for some months, than the one that will fade after a week of wash and wear’’.

Mrs Mary Stephen, a Community Health Worker with Primary Health Care Centre, Masaka told NAN some women do come to the hospital with complains of itching in the virginal or rashes at the breast region.

According to her, the way some people make use of those second hand wears is bad; such wears are not supposed to be used for a long time before discarding them.

However, Mr Okwuchi Igwe, Chairlady, Association of Fairly Used Clothes Traders, said their members buy their wears from Kano, Kaduna, Abia and Jos through the help of their colleagues.

Igwe added that they hardly travel, but when they make request based on what they want, the clothes whether babies or adults are normally supplied to them.

“We get our goods through waybill; it is not easy for a trader to embark on trip weekly; fairly used clothes are on the high side and on demand.

“However, some people like buying them because it is durable, when they see the quality ones, they don’t hesitate to go for them.

“I have never seen anybody complain of any infections from second hand clothes; but for shoes, people do speak of having infection on their toes due to the chemical used to preserve them,’’ Igwe said.

Some patronisers in News Nyanya and Mararaba also expressed divergent opinions as regards to the fairly used clothes.

Mrs Caroline Jaja, a resident, said fairly used clothes were of high quality, especially those in the first grade, because according to her they last longer.

Jaja said that her reason for patronising such clothes was that they were not common compare to the `already made’ type that were common everywhere.

“I go for the first grade because it has not be used by many.

“I can buy a top for N800 or N1,000; it is affordable, that is what I buy them for my children because it is preferable.

“Also, it depends on the way you wash them, I always use antiseptics; I have never experience any skin disease or infections since I started using them,’’ Jaja said.

On the contrary, Mr Ben Clifford told NAN that he stopped his wife from buying fairly used clothes, pants or bra due to the experience that cost them a lot of money for treatment.

Clifford said his wife had rashes under her breast region that took a long time to treat after spending so much money in the hospital.

“Fungal infections are easy to contract but very difficult to eradicate, the chemical used on preserving the clothes is also harmful and some people react to it,” he said.