Fake Sex Pills in Africa, A Worrisome Trend

From available statistics, South Africans are among the biggest consumers of black market aphrodisiacs. Many South African men regularly put their lives at risk by taking these unregulated drugs, damn the consequences. Tumi Motsei, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, explained that so many South Africans continue to buy erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs illegally from the internet in spite of the risks and associated side effects is that they are offered at a fraction of the price that they cost at licensed pharmacies.

“Secondly, it’s a condition which men are often too embarrassed to discuss with their doctor. Counterfeit drug manufacturers take advantage of this vulnerability by making their products available without prescription. This then allows men to access prescription medication without seeking appropriate medical advice”, she added.

She noted that although the fake product looks exactly like the real McCoy, some may contain elements of the active ingredient found in the genuine product, while others contain none at all.

Fake sex pills have been linked to heart diseases like stroke and cardiovascular attacks (cardiac arrest), blurred vision, nausea, upset stomach, flushing, dizziness and nasal blockage. Reportedly, an increasing number of healthy-looking young men have been dropping dead mysteriously without any clue.

Aside from outright fakes, another phase in the influx of sex-enhancing drugs in Africa began with the introduction of adulterated drugs that crush Viagra together with other ED prescription drugs and blend that with local herbs to give the desired kick with no thought for the health implications for the consumers. The trend has now degenerated to the level that traditional herbal sex enhancers are sold openly in motor parks and bars or hawked on the street, making the question of affordability and accessibility wholly irrelevant.

In Ghana, for instance, 28 out of 30 respondents under the age of 30 admitted that they have used a form of sex-enhancing drug either once or consistently. Some men, particularly in West Africa, also use Alomo Bitters, a Ghanaian alcoholic herbal product made from tropical plant extracts by Kasapreko Company Limited, as an aphrodisiac.

In Nigeria, men use locally made sex boosters such as the popular Burantashi, which is produced and marketed by the Hausa tribe in Northern Nigeria, and several other herbal concoctions referred to as “man power,” bumper2bumper and “action-pack.” However, none of these “boosters” have undergone clinical trials to prove their safety.