Mr. Enoch Mensah, a pharmacist at Tema Community One, has cautioned men against the abuse of all forms of aphrodisiac substances as it is dangerous and could lead to vision disorder, and headaches among others.

 

He added that it could also lead to the prolonged erection of the male sexual organ known as priapism, while others could end up suffering from nasal congestion, and alopecia (the loss of hair from the scalp).

 

Mr. Mensah in an interview with Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) on the alleged increase in the usage of aphrodisiac drugs among some men in Tema Metropolis said aphrodisiacs were associated with some side effects, therefore, abusing them could have dire health consequences.

 

He noted that aphrodisiacs are items such as gels, creams, sprays, and drugs that people use to increase their libido and last longer during sexual activities.

 

The pharmacist urged users to visit licensed pharmacy shops and asked the necessary questions to ensure that they were well equipped with information on their conditions and the best type of aphrodisiac that could work for them without jeopardizing their health.

 

Mr. Mensah said some of the youth instead of purchasing them from the pharmacists resorted to the patronage of unregulated ones being sold under trees by unlicensed persons.

 

He noted that such sellers do not have the needed knowledge about the drugs they sold and therefore posed a danger to those who patronized them.

 

The pharmacist also stated that he usually sensitized those who came to the pharmacy for such drugs and reminded them of the need to focus on their natural strength during sexual intercourse.

 

Meanwhile, these local aphrodisiac sellers have revealed to the GNA that patronage of their sexual enhancement products by both the young and elderly men was booming adding that even though they sold other medicines most of them were interested in the ones that cure erectile dysfunction.

 

They said while some of the aphrodisiacs were internally taken, others were applied externally mostly 30 minutes before engaging in coitus.

 

Mr. Evans Atubui, an aphrodisiac seller at Tema Community One said on average, he sold about ten boxes of erectile dysfunction medicines daily revealing that most of his customers were referred to him by clients who were satisfied with the results of the products.

 

Mr. Atubui said the medicine came in different flavours including orange, pineapple, black current, and banana, among others adding that some could be taken mixed with cold water turning it into a beverage.

 

Mr. Aminu Sulley, a herbalist in Tema also confirmed the increase in patronage of their products saying, some people preferred the natural alternatives they sold as they were generally safer and had no side effects.

 

According to him, the increase in sales could also be attributed to the imbalanced diet most of the youth consumed which could be a contributing factor to erection problems.