Global Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Open Access Peer Review International
Open Access

Prevalence and Pattern of Sex Enhancement Drug Use Among Adult Males in Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS ,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS.Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,Faculty of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Oxford Brookes University, GBS Partnership, Birmingham Campus, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MPH,Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Applied Health Science, Edo State University, Iyamho, Edo State, Nigeria; Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,Department of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Oxford Brookes University, GBS Partnership, Birmingham, United Kingdom; and PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,Vaccine Preventable Diseases Unit/Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control Cluster, World Health Organisation Country Office, Abuja, Nigeria; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MHPM,Department of Oral Diagnosis and Dental Public Health, D’ Dentist Place Dental Clinic, Owerri, Nigeria; Department of Oral Pathology, D’ Dentist Place Dental Clinic, Owerri, Nigeria; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,School of Health and Sports Science, Regent College, London, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD,World Health Organization, United Nations House, Abuja, Nigeria; and Department of Multidisciplinary Studies & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MBBS,Sexual Health Hertfordshire, CLCH NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; and Department of Multidisciplinary Studies & Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Sex enhancement drug consumption has become increasingly visible across several African settings, yet community-level prevalence data remain limited. This study examines the prevalence and pattern of sex enhancement drug use among adult males in Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed among 362 adult males aged 18–65 years selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed with SPSS version 27.0. The prevalence of lifetime use of sex enhancement drugs was 38.7%. Alcohol 26.0% and local herbal preparations 21.3% constituted the most frequently reported substances, followed by orthodox pharmaceutical agents 9.1% and nutritional supplements 5.8%. Usage was largely occasional, with 26.5% reporting use 1–2 times and 1.9% reporting daily use. Most users reported use within marital or regular partnerships 17.4%, though a proportion reported use with casual partners 13.5%, sex workers 11.9%, and women they struggled to win 5.5%. The dominant source of procurement was roadside vendors 81.4%. The findings reveal substantial community-level engagement with sex enhancement substances, characterised by informal acquisition and episodic consumption. These results highlight the need for structured sexual health engagement strategies that address patterns of non-medical performance enhancement within community settings.

Keywords

References

📄 Adaki, A. Y. (2026). Beyond the Two-Minute Man: Masculinity Narratives and Pressures of Sexual Performance Among Young Men in Taraba State, Nigeria. Sexual Health & Compulsivity, 1-21.
📄 Adamu, H., Adamu, A. A., Cletus, B., Marafa, L., & Abdulmalik, M. (2022). Prevalence and pattern of aphrodisiac use among adult population in Sokoto Metropolis, Northwest Nigeria. Int J Res Rep Gynaecol, 2022(5), 3.
📄 Amoah, P. A., Adjei, S. B., & Arthur-Holmes, F. (2022). A social–ecological study of perceptions and determinants of sexual enhancement drug use among men and women in Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6521.
📄 Bhagavathula, A. S., Elnour, A. A., & Shehab, A. (2016). Pharmacovigilance on sexual enhancing herbal supplements. Saudi pharmaceutical journal, 24(1), 115-118.
📄 Bubnova, A. M., & Galchenko, A. V. (2024). Natural Aphrodisiacs: Traditional use, mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and safety. The Natural Products Journal, 14(1), 2-17.
📄 Chiang, J., Yafi, F. A., Dorsey Jr, P. J., & Hellstrom, W. J. (2017). The dangers of sexual enhancement supplements and counterfeit drugs to “treat” erectile dysfunction. Translational andrology and urology, 6(1), 12.
📄 Dumbili, E. W. (2024). Alcoholic Bitters for Sweet Sex? Masculinity, Femininity, Alcohol, and Sex Consuming Selves in Heterosexual Relationships. In Reconfiguring Drinking Cultures, Gender, and Transgressive Selves (pp. 211-255). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
📄 Fiaveh, D. Y. (2020). Masculinity, male sexual virility, and use of aphrodisiacs in Ghana. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 28(2), 165-182.
📄 Fiaveh, D. Y., Okyerefo, M. P., & Fayorsey, C. K. (2015). Women’s experiences of sexual pleasure in Ghana. Sexuality & Culture, 19(4), 697-714.
📄 Fredua-Agyeman, N. K. (2023). Perceptions and Precursors of Aphrodisiac Use Among University Students in Two Districts in Greater Accra (Doctoral dissertation, University of Ghana).
📄 George, W. H., Blayney, J. A., & Davis, K. C. (2024). Impact of acute alcohol consumption on sexuality: A look at psychological mechanisms. Annual review of clinical psychology, 20(1), 307-331.
📄 Ibrahim, U., & Zango, M. I. (2021). Age, Education and Use of Sex Stimulant in Metropolitan Kano-Nigeria. Journal of the Population Association of Nigeria Vol, 5(1), 149.
📄 Klein, M. R., & Shindel, A. W. (2023). Prescribing PDE5 inhibitors: best practices, common practices, and controversies. Current Sexual Health Reports, 15(3), 244-251.
📄 Manortey, S., Mensah, P.A. and Acheampong, G.K. (2018) Evaluating Factors Associated with the Use of Aphrodisiacs among Adult Male Residents in Ashaiman Municipality, Ghana. Open Access Library Journal, 5: e4876. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104876
📄 Mensah, E., Nsebot, U., Umukoro, G., & Ushuple, L. (2025). Smash her calabash! The metaphoric construction of phallic masculinity in the marketing of herbal aphrodisiacs in Nigeria. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 33(1), 86-107.
📄 Mollaioli, D., Ciocca, G., Limoncin, E., Di Sante, S., Gravina, G. L., Carosa, E., ... & Jannini, E. A. F. (2020). Lifestyles and sexuality in men and women: the gender perspective in sexual medicine. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 18(1), 10.
📄 Mutebi, S. (2022). Staying a ‘real man’: Sexual performance concerns and alternative masculinities among young men in urban Tanzania. African Studies, 81(1), 87-101.
📄 Nna, V. U., Ofutet, E. O., Ofem, O. E., Okpokam, D. C., & Osim, E. E. (2016). The quest for an increased genital size drives sex stimulant abuse among male subjects in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction, 5(4), 311-316.
📄 Owaba, A. D., Etim, E. I., Johnson, E. C., & Umoh, U. F. (2021). Aphrodisiac agents used in traditional medicine and their mechanism of action-A Review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 10(3), 126-153.
📄 Roychoudhury, S., Choudhury, B. P., Choudhury, A. P., Pal, M., Kosgi, R., & Mandal, S. C. (2022). Herbal aphrodisiac biomolecules in the management of male reproductive and sexual problems: connecting nature with clinics. In Herbal Biomolecules in Healthcare Applications (pp. 591-611). Academic Press.
📄 Vanhee, C., Jacobs, B., Mori, M., Kamugisha, A., Debehault, L., Canfyn, M., ... & Willocx, M. (2023). Uncovering the quality deficiencies with potentially harmful effects in substandard and falsified PDE-5 inhibitors seized by Belgian controlling agencies. Forensic Sciences, 3(3), 426-451.
📄 Yafi, F. A., Sharlip, I. D., & Becher, E. F. (2018). Update on the safety of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Sexual medicine reviews, 6(2), 242-252.
📄 Yéléhé‐Okouma, M., Pape, E., Humbertjean, L., Evrard, M., El Osta, R., Petitpain, N., ... & Scala‐Bertola, J. (2021). Drug adulteration of sexual enhancement supplements: a worldwide insidious public health threat. Fundamental & clinical pharmacology, 35(5), 792-807.

How to Cite

Eyong, F. N., Oreoluwa, O. T. ., Nwaojei, E. N. ., Onoja, E. O. ., Kedeayei, E. A. ., Funmilola, L. F. ., Chigushime, E. F. ., Aguinede, C. O. ., Onyeagbako, C. C. ., Joseph, O. B. ., Oluwatosin, S. ., Unogu, C. P., Joseph, O. O., Nkesi, W. G., Onyekachi, I. P. ., Bala, N. M., Obohwemu, K. O., Yakpir, G. M. ., Iyevhobu, K. O., … Okolo, K. G. . (2026). Prevalence and Pattern of Sex Enhancement Drug Use Among Adult Males in Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Global Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5(04), 01-13. https://doi.org/10.55640/gjmps/Volume05Issue04-01

Most read articles by the same author(s)