Vendors of local aphrodisiacs in Accra and Tema say there is a rise in the demand for female sexual enhancement products.

According to the vendors, women who patronise those products list issues including vaginal laxity, a general lack of interest in sex, stress, and other natural causes such as ageing as some of the reasons why they use them.

“More women come to buy aphrodisiacs from us now than before; both married and unmarried, young, and old alike. When the drugs we give work for them, they bring more of their friends, and as a result, the number keeps expanding,” a vendor told the GNA.

“Some of the women say they have no sexual urge and feel nothing even during intercourse with their husbands but only make fake noises just to encourage them to perform to satisfaction and that is why we give them aphrodisiacs to help.”

An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases one’s libido. It also addresses fertility problems or secondary sexual dysfunction such as erectile dysfunction.

Most aphrodisiacs contain herbs, roots, and fruits such as tiger nuts, coconuts, ginger etc. Others come in the form of herbal supplements, alcoholic beverages, toffee sticks, creams, and gels.

Many of the sexual enhancement products displayed in shops are locally manufactured. Some are also imported from Nigeria and China.

Maame Akua, a vendor, said she uses sexual enhancers herself and has also introduced them to her customers.

“I am 50 years and to tell you the truth I do not have any sexual urge at all. So occasionally I prepare concoctions from roots, herbs, and spices for myself…and it works for me.

“So, when the women come, I know what to give them because I have tried it myself, she said.”

“Formerly people were shy to talk about their sexual challenges but now they come freely to request for them. You know women are going through a lot of issues both at work and home, so it is understandable,” Belinda, another vendor told GNA.

Adepa, another vendor, said more women now patronised her wares than before.

“Oh, they come all the time both married and unmarried, some even come with their partners, even though sometimes they act shy and are reluctant to discuss their problems, I am patient with them until they are ready.

Others come to me because their friends introduced them to it,” she said.

Asked whether their products are approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the vendors said that the FDA occasionally clamped down on their activities because their products do not have the FDA’s embossment.

They said the FDA’s main concern was with imported aphrodisiacs rather than local ones.

Meanwhile, despite the “relief” those sexual enhancers give to some women, Dr Alfred Adu-Boateng, a resident obstetric gynaecologist, has cautioned against the over-reliance on local aphrodisiacs.

He said excessive use of some of those products may cause total closure to the vaginal opening, adding that some may also cause brain damage, whilst others could increase heart rate, which might lead to death.

Dr Adu-Boateng emphasised the importance of informed decision-making and responsible usage and insisted that women ought to be encouraged to consult with medical professionals before trying new products, as individual needs and medical considerations vary.