Thousands of Nigerians are deceptively led into the purchase of ineffective and harmful sex enhancement and body enlargement substances and creams, which has resulted in regrets for many, writes FELICITAS OFFORJAMAH.

When a seller of herbal aphrodisiacs met Lookman Adewale on the pedestrian bridge at Ilepo, Lagos, recently, the seller described how the herbal mixture would improve Adewale’s sexual performance. Adewale was excited and embraced the product in his bid to achieve sexual fulfillment. So, he bought a 75cl bottle of the mixture after the seller had explained how he should take it.
 
Unfortunately, his condition got worse after consuming the herbal mixture. “I don’t enjoy sex anymore. It has become so painful. Funny enough, I didn’t have much of a problem before I met this seller. I only get complaints that sometimes I don’t last too long. But after taking the herbal mixture, I don’t even have erection again or last long anymore,” Adewale lamented.

   
He added that the enthusiasm with which the seller advertised the herbal mixture made him believe that the product would work for him. “I was skeptical at first; you know it wasn’t packaged and I didn’t plan for it at all. So, I was like God just wanted me to live a better life; that’s why he brought this seller my way.
 
“I never knew I was using my N4, 250 to buy pain and misery. I want to look for that seller and put her in a prison because what she has done to me is irredeemable. I wonder how many men she has caused pain. I blame myself more because I’m educated and fell into such a trap,” he added.
 
Another victim of the use of unscientific herbs for increased sexual pleasure, Maduka Okeke, had bought the popular ‘Kayanmata’ from a Mallam at Ojota, Lagos. After a series of unbearable pains, he is grateful for survival.
 
“I still can’t believe that I survived that experience. My friends had boasted that they could last for 10 minutes and some for 30 minutes; I could only last for two minutes. Everybody knew that and it was kind of shameful. I felt I wasn’t man enough; so, I decided to take a bold step.
 
“There is a Mallam who sells enhancement drugs here. He said that the ‘Kayanmata’ thing will solve all my problems and he has been waiting for me to buy it since. He directed me to drink it with Alomo bitters so my sex duration will be longer but it was longer than I expected,” he recalled. Okeke said when he took the enhancement powder as directed by the Mallam, he experienced acne breakouts and the growth of painful boils.
 
“Apart from the painful boils and acne, the drug had an excessive effect on my drive. I wanted sex constantly. When my wife got tired, I switched to a girlfriend and when my girlfriend got tired, I had to look for somebody.
 
“The drive was too much; it was making me so tired and weak. Later, my stuff got so big and brought out blood at some point. It was a gruesome experience that I do not want to remember. What saved me was my family doctor who admitted me into his hospital for treatment,” he added.

In another incident, a young lawyer that preferred to be called Evidence had intended to buy a pack of Viagra at Onitsha but he ended up buying the counterfeit.
 
“When the man gave me the pack of Viagra, I was confused. What was written on the pack was, ‘Ciagra’ and what I know is Viagra. “I questioned the man, and he convinced me that it’s the same product from the same company. I took the risk and used it. The drug didn’t work at all, and I was later diagnosed with kidney damage,” he said. Ayomide, a fashion designer, had also bought a natural enhancement drug thinking it would cure her vaginal dryness, but she was left worse than before.
 
“My stuff is over dry now, and it was better before but now blood comes out often,” she lamented.Also, the patronage of organ enlargement products seems to be booming with unexpected results for the users. As they are cosmetic rather than medical products, they don’t seem to be strictly regulated and have thrown many of the users into regret.
 
It has become a “had I known case” for Oguzo, who had desired to enlarge her bust and was opportune to see breast enlargement creams by the roadside while returning home from work on a fateful day.
 
“I had really been skeptical about using these products but when you feel inadequate, you will do anything to satiate that desire. I bought it and used it as prescribed. Apart from the fact that nothing was enlarged; I have painful sores that still cause me discomfort to this moment. It’s something I really regret. There’s nothing wrong with me being patient or just content,” she said. Ikechukwu had tried his luck too. He bought an enlargement cream for his organ. Unfortunately, it ended in shame.
 
“I still can’t believe I’m the one carrying this swollen thing in between my legs. My wife had complained that my sexual organ was small and that I don’t satisfy her.

 
“There is a woman who sells herbal mixtures at Ipaja and I patronised her. The way she advertised it, I thought nothing will ever go wrong and her buttressing the fact that it was natural boosted my confidence. Everything is wrong now; my organ is swollen and brings out whitish pus. I have threatened her but she says I’m the only customer with that kind of problem and that maybe I did something wrong. I’m currently visiting an herbalist in Ogun State to get treated,” he disclosed.
 
Many other Nigerians have fallen victim to these unscrupulous herb peddlers, who claim to have solutions to men and women seeking sex enhancement and enlargement products.   
 
Libido boosters, sex enhancement pills, creams, lotions and enlargement products are sold as non-surgical enhancement options and are said to boost libido and increase the size of sexual organs for increased sexual pleasure or to fulfill the fantasy of the user.
 
These products are often advertised as cheaper and non-surgical alternatives to body parts augmentation and sexual enjoyment boosters.
Although aphrodisiacs, which include any food or drug that enhances sexual arousal, desire, pleasure and performance have been historically used for recreational and reproductive health purposes, concerns have been raised about the health implications of such products sold on Nigerian streets.
 
Apart from being packaged in an unhealthy way, most sellers convince people that the products are natural and have no side effects, even though they don’t have scientific evidence to back their claims. Also, the ingredients they contain differ significantly from one product to the next. Findings, however, showed that they typically feature plant-derived substances such as saw palmetto, wild yam, maca, dandelion root, blessed thistle and other unnamed ingredients. 
 
During investigations, The Guardian found a young woman, Adeladun mixing herbs and powdery substances with an alcohol-based substance. However, she refused to disclose what the powdery substances were, saying her mum taught her the preparation.
 
“It’s a secret handed over to me by my mum and it has worked for various people both men and women. I used to see people trooping into my mum’s shop to thank her for the concoction she gave them. Seeing the happiness on their faces, I decided to take it as a profession and there is no work in Nigeria now; so it’s a source of income for me,” Adeladun said.
  
Asked if customers complain of adverse reactions, Adeladun said: “Those people are just victims of the forceful anger of nature. Probably, they were destined to become celibate and they refused and wanted to enjoy sex by all means. The customers that experience failure are due to other reasons and not my products.”
  
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that in 1995, approximately 150 million men worldwide suffered from erectile dysfunction, noting that the number is expected to increase to 320 million by 2025. This could explain why some patronise sex enhancing herbal mixtures.
 
In 2021, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, warned Nigerians against the incessant use of sex enhancers, saying it could lead to stroke and even death.
 
But do these products work indeed? Are they safe? Despite claims by the sellers that they are ‘safe’ and ‘natural’, some medical experts have warned that taking them may lead to men not getting erections again or cause them to suffer priapism – a prolonged erection of the penis that doesn’t come down.
 
A cardiac interventionist with expertise in advanced cardiac life support, cardiac emergency care and fundamental interventional cardiology techniques, Mirabel Nwosu, said: “We are living in a time of sexual revolution and using a sexual enhancement drug especially while taking nitrate medicine might cause a sharp drop in blood pressure, which is the main adverse consequence of the drug use. Additional adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and an erratic and rapid heartbeat,” she said.
 
Nwosu urged individuals to visit doctors for any ailment instead of resorting to self-acclaimed doctors and manufacturers.
 
“In specific clinical cases involving sexual underperformance, men do require medicines that enhance sexual desire.
 
“This is only possible following a comprehensive evaluation of the patient by a physician who will balance the advantages and disadvantages of the medication. Additionally, the physician will make sure that no harmful drug combinations exist,” he added.
  
Managing Director of Ogah Hospital and Urology Centre, Gabriel Ogah, has also advised men who use counterfeit and unsafe sex-enhancing herbal mixtures to improve their sexual performance to desist, saying it comes with side effects like low sperm production and long-term erectile dysfunction.
 
“There has been a high incidence of patients, young people, having erections that don’t come down. Similar to wanting their penis to get longer, they also want to remain in bed for a longer period. They take all the stuff you just mentioned and end up with an extended erection that won’t go down.”
 
“If the erection persists for more than 24 hours without going down, they will become permanently impotent if they do not visit a doctor immediately. It is therefore risky for them to be taking the medications they are taking in order to win over their girlfriends,” he warned.
 
The doctor cautioned males against using any herbal product that claims to increase sex drive unless approved by a doctor. He bemoaned the proliferation and ease of accessing sex-enhancing herbal mixtures, maintaining that they have detrimental effects on the health of the consumers.
 
“The ingredients commonly used in sex enhancers and enlargement creams can unbalance hormones and prolonged use could lead to negative health effects,” he said.
 
According to a research conducted by Gabrielle Kassel published in Healthline, “natural remedies can’t enhance your body size” but strength training exercises could help. Further research done on the health platform proved that surgical procedures are the surest way of increasing the size of body parts.
However, it could still come with health implications if caution is not taken seriously.
 
Social commentator and activist, Mercy Aaron, said that individuals should accept themselves and their imperfections without resorting to unhealthy means of altering their body system and enlarging their body parts.

“I feel all these are done just to gain approval or to fulfill weird desires. People should know that there is more to life than sex and a banging body; we have a purpose or destiny to fulfill in life. When issues bordering on sexual nature arrive, a professional doctor should be consulted and not people that do not have your interest at heart,” Aaron said.
  
Last year, NAFDAC sealed two shops for allegedly selling unapproved sexual enhancement products to Nigerians in Abuja. The agency named some of the unregistered products said to be aphrodisiacs as Hajiya Ayesha Snuff, AK47, Bulletproof and Hajiya Aysha Maisanda.