Specialist Hanifa Koya said the new gel, which contains a drug that was never tested on humans, has caused painful internal scarring in dozens of women to date, The Dominion Post reported in its Monday edition.

Koya said these women now suffer from endometriosis, a medical condition in which abnormal growths appear in a woman's pelvic organs. These growths typically lead to painful inflammations, which in turn cause internal scarring and occasionally infertility.

The gynecologist said most doctors have already stopped using the potentially harmful gel, but warned some medical officials still implement the treatment.

Koya told the Post she contacted Medsafe, New Zealand's federal agency for medicine approval, but little to no action was taken to prevent the gel from being used.

"It's quite amazing -- we're using it inside human beings," she said. "I would have expected ... that they would have said, `Let's put this product on hold or start asking some questions,' but that didn't happen."

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