The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned against use of sex enhancement drugs, known widely as ‘Manpower’ to impress partners, noting that the consumption can lead to stroke or sudden death.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye who gave the warning in a statement on Sunday, said most of the products did not go through its approval process.
“The use of performance-enhancing drugs, otherwise known as ‘manpower’ in the local parlance, to impress partners can lead to stroke and even sudden death. They are smuggled into the country. If they were registered, the producers and peddlers alike would not be doing what they are doing in the supermarkets, social media platforms and on the streets,” she said.
“Many people are ignorant of the possible damage that misuse of aphrodisiacs or use of unregistered drugs could cause. When you have a disproportionate flow of blood to a particular part of the body and it lasts longer than normal, they tend to disrupt the normal flow of the circulatory system.”
According to her, aphrodisiacs could also interact with other drugs in the system.
She said the liver is responsible for the breakdown of drugs while the by-product of all waste goes down through the kidneys.
“When these things are used especially with some herbal medicines that don’t have dosage and professional prescription, it can lead to internal organ damage. It can hurt the liver and the kidneys, leading to untimely death,” she said.
According to her, for those who have certain health risks, such as hypertension and heart disease, there is more anxiety that the drug could stimulate into the system, and that can lead to changes in the physiology of the body and can lead to stroke or sudden stoppage of the heart.
“These happen in cases when men suddenly slump during sexual intercourse as reported in Rivers and Cross Rivers States recently,” she said.
Adeleye added, “There are a lot of side effects. Every drug is a potential poison. Every drug has one side effect or the other. These are chemical products with side effects. In some cases, there are associated Adverse Drug Reactions, which means it could lead to death or more serious organ damage depending on usage.
“It’s not all cases of sudden death that are caused by witches and wizards in the village; but in most cases, they are caused by what we eat or drink carelessly.”
