By Vivian Onyebukwa And Vera Wisdom-Bassey
For men, sex is one of the many ways to show love. It is the path of reaching mutual satisfaction, rendering pleasure, and thrilling their partner. To them, it doesn’t matter what’s going on – work, meeting of deadlines, whether their partner is going through her monthly cycle, or even tired. All they want is sex as at the time they need it. Sex is so important to them that they go out to enjoy it. It is also said to be one of the most important aspects of any relationship. It shows strength and unity.
However, one of the most discouraging and worrisome parts of it is the inability of the man to satisfy his partner in bed. If her expectations are not met, it becomes a kind of a letdown to the man, a brutal bruising of his ego. As a result of this, men can do anything to improve their sexual performance and to increase their confidence in bed. These days, many of them, especially those with sexual dysfunction, see the ingesting of sex enhancement drugs through oral or some other means as the ultimate solution to their problem
Why we use sex enhancement drugs
Some men who spoke to Saturday Sun revealed why they use sex enhancements. One of them, Emeka Okonkwo, who works with an Ikeja, Lagos-based company, revealed that the majority of the men are now hooked on to sex-enhancement drugs because they lack the natural power to perform. He said: “You have so many of them out there. It is common among young men. But I know from the medical point of view that they have side effects. At a certain age, it will begin to affect you health-wise; it is not 100 per cent good.”
But he admitted that he also uses sex enhancements once in a while. “I use it when I feel I should use it, especially when my body is feeling weak. While some prefer to take alcohol to boost their sexual performances, I prefer to take malt drink and fruits, not alcohol, considering my age. At 55, I cannot take alcohol anymore because it destroys the vein. Again, excess of sugar is not good, but some men take alcohol because they feel that it enhances their performances, not knowing that alcohol destroys the manhood.”
But not every man believes that aphrodisiacs are bad.
“How would my woman know that I have power? So, I have to impress her, and I cannot do it ordinarily,” stated Yinka Oniola, a Lagos businessman. “I want to make sure my woman would not forget me for life, that it is a day she will always remember.” For him, a man must prove himself to be a man. That is the only way a woman can respect him.
While some use drugs or alcohol, Samuel Adeolu, an auto mechanic in Ikeja, Lagos said he uses herbal enhancements to boost his sexual performance once in a while. “I take herbal drugs, but not always, and I don’t see anything wrong in doing that,” he said.
A trader’s unforgettable experience
A trader at Ladipo market, Mushin, Lagos, Mike Okonkwo, narrated his experience one day with a girl he wanted to have a fling with. His story: “I just met this girl when I went out with some friends to have fun. Some girls also came to join us; they were brought by a girlfriend to one of my friends. One of them tickled my fancy. I talked to her and she agreed to follow me home. I took a particular brand of beer that day. Ordinarily, it was not my brand, but I decided to take it. Although I had been hearing of it, I never knew it could enhance my sexual performance beyond my imagination. While I was having sex with the girl, I discovered that I was not able to come down on time as I had expected. I held this lady in bed for close to one hour, yet I was not ready to ejaculate. The more I tried to do so, the more my manhood stood erect. The lady begged me to release and withdraw my manhood, but I couldn’t. At a point, she started screaming. Some of my friends who went home together with me that day started banging on my door to find out what the problem was. They were afraid that something bad must have happened to the girl. Yet, I was on. At a point, she had to forcefully disengage herself from me and run out to the sitting room. My friends were wondering what had happened. Even so, my manhood continued to stand erect. It took quite a while before it could relapse. It was when I tried that particular brand of beer the next time and had the same experience that I realised it was the cause of the over-prolonged erection that I had on that day. Since then I have come to identify that brand of beer as my sex enhancer. So when I really want to marvel my woman in bed, I take it.”
Michael Ojo, a Lagos businessman, said he was forced to take enhancement drugs the night his wife complained that she was not being sexually satisfied. Even so, he regrets taking it because of the side effects. Since then he has resolved to take it sparingly based on medical advice.
Like Ojo, some men like Osagho Joseph use it once in a while, because of the side effects. The man, who hails from Edo State and works at one of the construction companies in Lagos, said he used it before but had to stop when he learnt about its side effects. “It can cause ill health since I am no longer growing younger. More so, I have a wife; I want to stay with my wife.”
He added that men use sex enhancements to prove to their women how powerful they are in bed, while some use it to exercise their sexual powers on their ladies based on what they have spent on them in terms of money and other goodies.
Medical experts talk about the dangers
Dr Ibezim, an Enugu-based psychotherapist spoke with Saturday Sun on the issue as well as the possible causes of erectile dysfunction.
“The importance of sex in relationships cannot be overemphasized,” he said. “As a result, a man can do anything to prove to his partner that he is able to sexually satisfy his partner. When he fails to do that; it affects his ego because a man’s ego can be fragile.”
He described sexual dysfunction as decreased desire, difficulty in obtaining or maintaining an erection, and a variety of problems associated with ejaculation, ranging from premature ejaculation to the inability to ejaculate.
He mentioned a variety of conditions that can induce erectile dysfunction. According to him, they include spinal cord injuries and high blood pressure. He added that medications used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and depression can also cause the problem. But he noted that some natural food supplements can make a man very active in bed. “Ginger, honey, and onion, help to stimulate the sex hormone and to energise a man,” he said. “Simply grind the ginger and onion and mix with original honey.”
A medical consultant, Dr Uchechukwu Oparah, also agreed that lack of sexual satisfaction in bed has become a serious issue between husband and wife, or boyfriend and girlfriend. The medical director of UCCO, Owerri/Port Harcourt, said that globally, sexual intercourse between men and women is seen as a way of expressing their mutual feelings. He stated that not all men use sex enhancements to assist erectile dysfunction, stamina, and overall sexual and physical performance. He highlighted the best male enhancement pills for increasing one’s sexual performance.
But he warned of serious side effects from the use of over-the-counter male enhancement drugs, which he said, could cause damage to the urethra (the tube that lets out urine and semen), and results in permanent difficulty in maintaining an erection. Some of such drugs, he said, might even contain ingredients similar to that of prescription drugs and can trigger a dangerous drop in blood pressure in men who take medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a few other ailments. He advised that all-way round intake of adequate fruits and water, including exercise, makes the whole body system’s immunoglobin perfect.